


Chance Meetings

by IsisKitsune



Series: Twilight is for Sookers [1]
Category: Daredevil (TV), Morbius: The Living Vampire, Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Chance Meetings, Character Turned Into Vampire, Dark Past, Gen, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Magic and Science, Marvel Cameos, Medical Conditions, Medical Experimentation, Mutation, Spell Failure, Synesthesia, Team as Family, Teenagers, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2020-02-16 03:41:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 54,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18683416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IsisKitsune/pseuds/IsisKitsune
Summary: Sometimes a chance meeting can change lives, for better or worse.





	Chance Meetings

**Author's Note:**

> All the fucking cannon divergence here folks!  
> Morbie is roughly Parker's age (more along the lines of Spider-Man the animated series line than the what the MCU verse leads towards)  
> Story picks up details on it.  
> Can be read as future Morbius/Parker, and no I honestly don't ship them this fic made it happen. Also can imply science boyfriends but the boys only list it as 'bros' so it's not intended to be shippy but hey read what ya read and interpret how you will  
> All sorts of dark themes/thoughts/implications in this, no actual mention of suicide or suicidal tendencies it's just this fic got so far into my head writing it I knew it could be read that way in some spaces so be forewarned. 
> 
> Implied child abuse is up for your interpretation as I left a lot of "What if" gapping in the story revolving around Morbie's past.
> 
> Side note: 2 years and 110 pages later, I finally got this beast of an idea on fucking paper WOOOOO!

Average night, average cries for help, average suspects. Purse snatchers were thick tonight but then again, tis the season for funds to be low and for crime to be on the rise. Hell, Peter understood making some sacrifices during the holidays, he ran 3 separate paper routes when he was little to make sure he had enough to get his Uncle Ben a set of ratchets he'd been eyeing for months, but come on people! Why resort to crime for it? It wasn't just the season of giving, the point of it was family, friends not possessions.

He caught the sound of a woman screaming and instantly swung toward the sound, surprised when he dropped down to the group of muggers already down. He smiled at the man hunching over one of them as he approached. “Hey, uh nice job, is she okay?” He looked around, hearing the sound of low heels running across the loose gravel in the alley. “Did she run when you got here?”

“Yes,” Peter felt the distinct tingling up his spine at the growl in the voice. It took his mind a second to register when the man let the mugger drop to the ground. Blood was splattered across the unconscious man's shoulder and throat. He swallowed hard when his brain came up with the idea that he probably wasn't unconscious. “I couldn't stop. I'm sorry, it still hurts so much.”

Peter nearly jumped when he saw the dark shirt gape, showing a flash of blood and wounded skin, “Oh god, you're hurt. Hold on, put pressure on it!” He didn't think, not beyond helping an innocent soul that probably just killed someone in self defense, he rushed up to shove a gloved hand over the wound and winced. He didn't even get a chance to look up to see the young face hiding behind the dark hair, he heard “I'm sorry” before he remembered a sudden stabbing in the side of his neck. The last thing he remembered was thinking “What happened to my Spider sense?”

-

Peter groaned when his eyes finally blinked open. Did he fall asleep in the Savannah? Or possibly in the process of attempting to drink the Savannah? His throat burned and his eyes felt like they were sealed shut with some combination of super glue and sandpaper. He grumbled when he heard commotion nearby and quickly swung away when he realized it was sirens he was hearing. “What the hell happened?” He whimpered when his hand patted his throat, dropping down onto an unoccupied roof to pull off a glove and dab at the tender spot. He rubbed his arm against a new-ish looking metal duct and tried to get a better look but all he saw was a splotch of red across his neck. “Okay, I'mma need to mention this to Tony. There's no way there wasn't something off about that guy.” He still couldn't figure out why his Spider sense hadn't worked...

Peter frowned when he finally got a better look at his neck after he changed out of his costume, he whined at the teeth marks, “Jeeze, never heard of waiting for the second date? God, I'mma need to update so many shots after this.” He didn't have a chance of covering it so he just opted to pulling his hoodie up to try to keep attention off it while shooting a text to Tony. _Had a weird night, any chance your friend Dr. Banner is still in town?_

He blinked when there was nearly an instant response. _Any details?_

_This dude bit me, like took a chunk out of my neck. God I better not get rabies over this. The last thing I need to be is a rabid spider-man._

_I'll give Bruce a call, stop by after you've had some rest. Take care of yourself kid._

_Trying, I'm just so damn thirsty and tired. I'm just gonna pass out for a few hours after I drink half the reservoir if you don't mind._

Peter had to be freaking his aunt out when the first thing he did was literally stuff his head in the sink and not come up for air until he just couldn't fit another swallow of water in his stomach. “Sorry, Aunt May, been a long day,” was the only excuse he could even muster as he stomped towards his room, exhaustion finally kicking in, and didn't even bother closing the door, he just flopped onto his bed and passed out.

-

Peter groaned, his phone would not stop going off. It finally got to the point that he couldn't sleep through it anymore and had to at least look at it. “Hello,” was mumbled when he saw Tony's name on the screen.

“Seriously kid, what the hell I've been trying to get a hold of you all day!”

“I told you I was gonna crash,” Peter grumbled, wincing when he tilted his head and his neck seemed to ignite in pain, “Ugh, I forgot about that.” He grumbled as he stumbled passed his stunned aunt toward the bathroom. He mouthed 'Tony' at her before shutting the door behind him and wincing when he flipped on the light. “What time is it anyway?”

“Eight o'clock...”

“What are you doing up so early?” He hissed when he finally got a good look at the dark bruising and teeth marks. “What was that?”

“It's 8 pm. Have you been asleep all day?!”

Peter groaned and tapped his head against the mirror, “I guess so.” Great, he was thirsty again. “Give me a minute I need a drink.” He could have sworn he heard Tony ranting but honestly he couldn't care as he gulped down water, giving up when he couldn't get the thirst to stop. “I said I was getting a drink I didn't hear any of that.”

“Come in now, something's obviously wrong!”

“Pardon the language but, no shit Sherlock,” Peter grumbled into the phone. “I think I'm anemic, I'm so thirsty... it's starting to hurt.”

“Peter,” Tony's tone made his sigh.

“I'm on my way, let me just wake up first. Maybe grab some left overs.” Peter grumbled as he left the bathroom. His aunt just broke his heart with her worried look, “Don't worry Aunt May, I'm on the phone with Tony, he's already got me a doctor's appointment. Said not to worry about the time just head over when I can,” she looked a little less worried as she smoothed back his disheveled hair.

“At least he's taking care of his interns.”

“Yeah, I'mma get a shower then head over. They might want me to stay the night, something tells me Tony won't let me leave until I get a clean bill of health but I'll call if he doesn't.”

His aunt smiled and patted his shoulder as he shuffled back to his room, “Any chance of you sending a cab or something? I don't think I'm up to hoofing it there.”

“Already on its way.”

“Thanks.”

-

Peter was sluggish when he dropped into the car, Happy instantly blinked at him when he didn't even both talking, just smiled weakly before hitting the button to darken the glass so he could change. After all it wasn't Peter Parker than got bit by whoever that was last night it was Spider-man.

“Peter, wake up, we're here,” Peter jerked and blinked when Happy shook him from over the seat, “God kid, what'd you get yourself into?”

“A really bad date,” he offered, sarcasm his automatic response when out of his element and just slumped toward the door before opening it and stumbling out.

Peter could have sworn he'd blinked, that was all, and suddenly he realized he was sitting on a table and jerked back when Dr. Banner started lifting his mask, “Easy Spider-man, I just need to see your throat. That's where you said the bite was.”

Had he? Wait, how'd he even get here? Wait, that's right, Happy had to help him, he just got so dizzy he couldn't stay standing. “I think blood loss is getting to me or something. I don't even remember meeting you.”

“Then we better get this going before you zone out again?”

“Right, right,” Peter grumbled as he carefully brought the mask up, surprised when Tony did something that let the collar on his suit loosen to let them see it.

“Holy shit, what the hell got a hold of you?”

“I don't know who he was but he helped this poor woman get away from some muggers. The guy was hurt, ugh why do I hear ringing?”

Dr. Banner grabbed something and Peter instantly felt his arm shoot over to grab the doctor's wrist of its own accord, “Easy, I'm taking a glucose reading. When was the last time you ate?”

“Forgot to. Just been so thirsty, probably anemic or something.”

Dr. Banner jabbed one of his fingers to get a reading while he tried to carefully clean up the bite. “Has this been bleeding all night?”

Peter blinked and brushed a hand at his neck, it still stung like a fresh wound and red was smeared over his glove, “I don't know, I thought it'd stopped after I woke up.”

Dr. Banner nudged Tony and showed him the reading, “Damnit kid, I'll get you some juice or something.”

“Huh?”

“Just stay awake okay? Your glucose is plummeting that's why you're dizzy and missing moments in time.”

“Okay,” Peter mumbled, shaking his head when he started noticing the shadows taking over the room. “Did Tony shut off the lights?”

“No, you're about to black out, you need to keep breathing evenly. Try to hold it off until we can get your glucose up. Spider-man, hey can you hear me?”

Peter could barely see Dr. Banner's mouth moving through the shadows, he definitely couldn't hear him over the buzzing in his ears. “What'd ya say?” Dr. Banner was suddenly holding him upright. He couldn't even feel where the doctor was gripping his arms. “Why can't I move?” He could see his hand rise up to weakly drop onto the doctor's shoulder but he couldn't remember doing that.

“Drink this,” Peter blinked at the moving lips and shifted away then stayed still when it was Tony that came into his very limited field of view. He gulped hard at the burn of orange juice before jerking away from it and tried not to gag, having expected water. “Just drink,” he coughed when the straw was stuck back between his lips and winced with every gulp. He couldn't get his vision to clear even when the buzzing finally started fading. “That's it keep drinking, just stay still until it passes.”

It got to the point he just couldn't drink anymore, it started to turn his stomach and he shoved at the bottle to get it away, just wanting to lay down and rest. “Hold on,” Peter jerked back at the sudden jolt up his spine, Danger screamed his Spider sense and he instinctively rolled away from it. Even exhausted, body and mind, it was enough to topple him and the good doctor into the floor when he couldn't keep his balance while trying to hold the kid upright.

“Bruce, easy, the kid's probably hypersensitive as hell with the adrenaline rush!”

“Then can I get a little help? He calmed down when he saw you earlier.”

Peter kept twitching, his Spider sense kept going off, it wouldn't stop! Something touched his arm and he jerked away when it screamed at him again. “God, shut it up, please!”

“Bruce where's the sedative?”

“Tony we can't sedate him he's recovering for a glucose imbalance that could crash him again!”

“Well he's going to tear himself up if he keeps thrashing around!”

“Breathe! Just breathe, I'm not going to touch you, neither of us are, just breathe,” Tony was helpless as he watched Bruce shift away from the boy, wanting to help get him up but forcing himself to stay put when the thrashing stopped and the boy just curled up. His shoulders heaving as he just tried to follow instructions. “That's it, just breathe.”

“Make it stop,” it wouldn't stop, he kept twitching every time his damn Spider sense kept triggering. “Something's wrong, make it stop!”

Tony eyes shot over to Bruce, helpless, before realizing the cut on the doctor's arm. “Bruce, you're hurt.”

Bruce blinked down then cursed as he grabbed for something to stop the small bleed. He must have hit it on the table when he was dragged over it. “I'm alright, Tony could you watch him while I get this cleaned up? Just, keep him calm.”

“Yeah, alright,” Tony watched helplessly as the kid continued twitching while Bruce left the room to take care of the cut.

Peter huffed out a breathe, “It stopped,” he was nearly in tears when his mind and body finally started to calm. “Thank god, it stopped.”

“Peter,” Tony whispered as he knelt down, making sure Bruce was still out of the room. “What happened?”

“I don't know, I've never had it happen like that. It just wouldn't stop.”

“Come on, let's get you off the floor if everything's settling down,” Tony reached, carefully brushing fingers against Peter's arm, jerking back when it moved but sighing with relief when it didn't cause another episode of whatever the hell just happened.

“I'm okay now, I think it's stopped. Maybe, maybe it was being around Dr. Banner, he was a little upset when I pulled away wasn't he?”

“No kid, he wasn't angry or upset, he was worried. The big guy knows the difference. Bruce was needed, big green wasn't.”

“God I hope I don't have that happen again. I'd hate to react that way when I'm near him.”

“Well that brain of yours seems to be coming back online. How's everything else going?”

“Stomach ain't liking that juice too much...”

“Define 'ain't liking',” Peter gulped hard and waved a hand away, Tony was able to grab the trash can in time, just barely. “Yeah, figured that'd happen after all that. You practically had a panic attack and a seizure.”

Peter tried to keep the dry heaving at bay but it didn't help much. His head shot towards the door when he heard it open, he started to panic when he watched Bruce walk back in. “Sorry Dr. Banner, couldn't help it.”

“Don't worry about that, we'll make sure you have something better on your stomach that was just to help with your glucose levels. I'm glad you're doing better now.”

Peter relaxed when the doctor walking closer didn't trigger his Spider sense again. “Um, Dr. Banner, by chance did, did I trigger...?”

Bruce blinked then sighed and smiled, “No, the other guy wasn't involved in any of that. You startled me pulling me down but no. Ask Tony, he could tell you, my eyes didn't even change. Or if they did it was just that moment when you grabbed me.”

“I don't know what caused all that, I thought, maybe I triggered you which made everything worse...”

Bruce chuckled, “Believe me, if I was triggered you'd know.”

“Then what caused all that, if it wasn't you trying to fight back Hulk?”

Bruce laughed, giving a sad smile as he held up his bandaged arm, “My blood's toxic. It was a domino effect. I startled you, I was trying to get another glucose reading. You over reacted to the needle and I ended up with radioactive blood dripping on the floor and yeah, that just blew your danger sense out of proportion.”

Peter sighed, “Good,” Bruce blinked at him, “I was worried it was because my Spider sense didn't like Hulk...”

Bruce gave a snort, “Last I heard, the other guy likes you. I doubt he'd trigger it.”

“Yeah, that's why I was worried.” Peter flinched when his Spider sense triggered again when Bruce touched him. “Um, it's still happening.”

“I was just going to run another glucose test to make sure you're staying stable and draw a bit of blood to run some tests.”

“Okay,” Peter looked at the needle, closing his eyes and taking a breathe. It helped, to a point. But it was more along the lines of allowing himself to not respond to the sense of danger than to actually calm himself. He sighed once it was done and the pat on his shoulder didn't have his Spider sense screaming at him. “Oh thank god I think it was the needle,” he laughed and shook his head.

“Again, kid, panic attack, you're probably still on the tail end of that. You're going to be hyper aware.”

“I'm afraid we're going to have to clean up your neck again and bandage it properly and test the bite for anything odd going on.”

Peter sighed and closed his eyes again, “Okay, go ahead, just don't grab me if I flinch, it'll get worse.”

Tony finally settled himself at the kid's shoulder, wincing at the now seeping wound at his throat. “Okay, so, story time kid, what happened last night?”

“I was on patrol and I heard a woman scream. This guy, he already got the muggers and he was like really creepy but he was hurt. Looked like one of them got him in the stomach with a knife. I didn't think. I was trying to help him. I wasn't thinking... My Spider sense didn't react to him,” he admitted, looking up at Tony's stone faced expression. “I don't know why it didn't warn me, but my neck hurt after that. He'd bitten me. I musta passed out, I woke up before the cops got on the scene but he was gone. He said he was sorry. That it hurt, I thought he meant the knife. I mean, I've lost it a bit when I've been hurt pretty bad.” Peter glance at Dr. Banner, who was giving Tony a look. “What? What'd I miss?”

Tony sighed and swiped at his phone, “The tabloids are calling them 'Vampire killings',” Peter blinked at the article brought up and blanched at the image of the alley he'd been in the night before. “All of them, exsanguinated. That was nearly you.”

Peter flinched when Dr. Banner touched his arm, “It was probably your healing that kept you alive long enough to regain consciousness or even survive the extreme blood loss.”

A tingle jolted up is spine right as he felt a cold cloth brush his neck. “He killed them.”

“Not everyone is a nice guy, you know that.”

“Yeah, but, he,” Peter shuddered and rubbed at his freshly bandaged neck, “What if, what if my mutation does something to him?! You said because of my healing I survived what if it effected him to?”

“Right now, kid, we're more worried about his effect on you.”

“It's just blood loss getting to me right? I mean, other than that I'm fine.”

“Let's make sure of that,” Tony said as he handed over the phone. “Give her a call, tell her you're staying. Possibly for the week. Tell her something like we're watching you for glucose imbalance and anemia. If you want I'll set it up so she can visit you, privately after you've settled in.”

Peter's hands shook as he blinked at Tony, “Alright, um, I didn't bring but the one set of clothes.”

“Don't worry about it kid, Bruce doesn't care and he's the only one coming near your suite other than me. And Jarvis is rather protective of you from what I've noticed.”

“Okay,” Peter sighed as he tried to keep from scratching at the gauze on his neck. “So, what was that about food?”

-

Peter was nibble on crackers as he flipped through the articles he'd found. “You're supposed to be eating, that can't make you feel like eating,” Tony grumbled as he leaned against the door frame.

“I am eating,” he waved his nibbled cracker at him as he winced at the smell of the chicken noodle soup, “My stomach's still upset is all.”

“Yeah, could be because you don't know the first thing about when to stop working yourself to death. Let it be for now at least, get some rest. Recover.”

“Dr. Banner said my glucose is fine, he's running blood tests right now. The only thing that came up weird about the bite was that it had some traces of anticoagulant in it.”

“You need a transfusion... That's something major right there.”

“I need to figure out what happened in that alley.”

Tony sighed, “Peter, eat some real food, and get some rest. We'll figure this out.”

Peter was just about to make a remark when his stomach turned and he dropped the tablet to run for the bathroom.

Tony sighed then blinked when his phone buzzed at him. Bruce texting him to get Spider-man down to medbay to get a transfusion asap. “Peter, Bruce says you need a transfusion.”

“Okay,” was weakly called from the bathroom before the sound of running water. “Please tell me I don't need to eat something first...”

Tony huffed out a laugh and shook his head, “Whatever Bruce found he wants you getting it now. So, I don't think that matters.”

-

Peter sighed as he relaxed back onto the small bed they'd had him settle on, “Did you put something in that?”

Bruce blinked at him from over the data he'd been showing Tony, “No, why?”

“Feel drugged, all floaty and calm.” Peter barely blinked when Bruce tested his pulse and just smiled as his eyes went distant.

“Here, have something to eat, Tony said your stomach's still upset.” Peter just blinked at the small plate of cookies and reached to grab one.

“I thought you got cookies after giving blood not getting blood.”

“You've earned it,” Tony stated as he continued to watch the kid currently wearing the same dazed expression of a cat on a window sill. “Just give us a heads up when your stomach revolts.

Peter snorted, sending a few crumbs scattering at his first bite, “Doesn't feel upset. Actually I'm actually feeling hungry now. Maybe it was the blood loss, does that do that?”

“Everyone reacts a little different,” Tony mumbled as he continued to watch, knowing for a fact Bruce was just as watchful.

“God I was so thirsty after, I musta drank a gallon of water before it finally let me sleep.”

Peter blinked at the sudden jolt to his shoulder, “Huh?”

“Wake up kiddo, we're done, you can go sleep in a real bed.”

“Oh, okay,” Peter rubbed his eyes as he stumbled to his feet and yawned. “What time is it?”

“Early, go on and get some real rest.”

“Okay,” he mumbled as he walked toward the door, the floating buzz hadn't yet faded and it made him giggle a bit when he stumbled on the doorway. “I'm okay,” he called automatically before rubbing his eyes again and stumbling back to his room.

-

Peter grumbled as he woke up, his stomach actually growling at him as he got up and zombie walked toward the shower. “Jarvis? What time is it?”

“It's 6pm, sir, you're in time for dinner if you'd like to join the others.”

Peter froze and blinked, rubbing at his eyes while he pulled the door shut and started the water to warm up. “Okay, could you, um tell them that I'm gonna head down after I wake up a bit?”

“Of course.”

He hid his eyes when he left the bathroom, “Jarvis, please shut the blinds.”

“Oh, I'm sorry, sir, I'm use to opening them once the occupant is awake.”

“No problem, just, headache inducing after yesterday,” Peter sighed when the setting sun stopped stabbing him in the eyes. He pulled on his hoodie and a set of sweats and tugged his mask over his face before deciding to head for dinner.

“You doing okay kid?” Tony was watching him when he stumbled into the dining room.

“Yeah just a little cold and really hungry.”

“About time your appetite came back.”

“You're telling me,” he mumbled while he loaded up a plate and started eating, not really even paying attention to what he was shoveling into this mouth. He grabbed a glass and poured some water into it, it took nearly three glasses before he finally stopped feeling thirsty, but it didn't last long. “So, how'd the blood test turn out?”

“Eat up kid, we'll talk shop after you've had time to digest.”

Peter finished his meal around the time everyone else was heading for movie night, “Okay, are you going to tell me what you've found? Look I might not exactly hang with you two all the time but Dr. Banner has been giving me this look all night and I know it has nothing to do with my missing piece of pie...”

Tony snorted, “Nah you caught Clint red handed stealing that, you just didn't say anything.”

Peter shrugged, “Hey, considering everything I've been given I figured why fuss over one piece of pie?” He sighed and leaned back as he shoved two chairs over toward them, “Spill, what's wrong? What's got you on edge? I feel fine now.”

“That's the problem, you won't stay feeling fine.”

Bruce settled across from him, “We haven't figured out the what just yet but there seems to be a secondary mutation. We think the attack triggered it.”

Peter shut his eyes as he leaned across his crossed arms, “Alright, but you know whatever it is will make me sick again? How?”

“You blood cells, your blood count to be specific. It's plummeting at an alarming rate. Something's happened, and it's causing your blood cells to attack themselves.”

Peter covered his eyes, running his hands back over his mask. “Okay, okay, so, any ideas how to fix this? Preferably before I end up mummified?”

“At the moment? We're going for the regular anemia treatments, mainly because we don't know the cause, but if you start feeling too bad speak up immediately. So, Bruce has some things for you to look over and don't forget to take your medicine. We don't need you passing out.”

“Alright,” Peter sighed as he took the tablet and started reading over everything, “Anemia, honestly,” he grumbled as he glared at the bottle of pills before getting up to go grab water. He didn't even notice Bruce dragging Tony to the side to give him a green tinted glare.

-

Peter was half asleep when his Aunt May visited, he jumped up and instantly started gathering the books strung across his bed, blinking when Jarvis announced to not worry about the knocking on the door. “Oh, yeah um,” he made sure his suit and mask was out of sight, “let her in.” He blinked at the books he'd started straightening up, unsure when he'd fallen asleep catching up on his homework. “Aunt May,” he called as he bounced into lounge to hug her.

“Peter! How have you been? You forgot to call me. Tony said you were alright but you know I worry.”

“I'm sorry May, I needed a transfusion by the time I got here. Dr. Banner said that it was normal to feel a little out of it after transfusions. I've been basically sleeping and eating and that's about it the last couple days. I should have called I'm sorry.”

“Well, then I suppose this won't go to waste,” May smiled and held up the take out bag, making Peter's eyes light up.

“Thank god, I'm starving!”

May laughed, “Of course you are, you're still a growing boy after all.”

Peter took the bag and rushed over to the kitchenette to start setting up the table for them. “So, how's everything been at the house?”

May smiled as she settled across from her nephew and let him make small talk.

-

Peter had taken to wandering while the others slept, too bad he wasn't smart enough to just stay in his room even after his stomach started acting up. “Why isn't it working?” He grumbled while he slid down the wall to hold his stomach. He whined when it felt like someone stabbed him somewhere in the vicinity of his abdomen. “Fuck,” he gasped out when teeth started aching. “Jarvis,” he whimpered as he curled up. “Get Dr. Banner.”

“Right away sir.”

Peter was never happier when the pain finally stopped when he past out. “Spider-man,” he felt someone shaking his shoulder but then there was a jolt up his spine when his Spider sense started screaming at him. “It's alright, it's Bruce.”

Peter's head slammed into the wall when he tried to throw himself away from whatever “Danger” was triggering his Spider sense and whimpered when the tingling started clawing its way up his spine into his aching head.

“Tony get over here! I can't touch him, I'm causing it. Tony! Snap out of it he needs medical attention now!”

Tony shook himself out of his daze and reached out, once Bruce stepped away Peter seemed to calm down enough to just whimper and curl up. “It hurts, make it stop,” Tony shut his eyes and gathered up the gangly limbed young man as best as he could. Somehow ended up somewhere between a fireman's carry and bridal carry as the boy clung to his shoulders. “It hurts.”

“Don't worry, kid, I've got you, we'll fix it.”

Peter whimpered as another stab shot through his stomach, he meant to grit his teeth to keep from screaming when it got worse and ended up biting down on a padded shoulder. His eyes shot open and he stilled when a scent caught his attention. Tony flinched when he felt a bruising pressure on his shoulder but didn't think anything of it while he carried the boy back to medical. “Don't worry, I've got you.”

The pain dulled for a moment, Peter turned toward the scent, pressing his nose against the steady beat just next to his ear, thirst suddenly hit him and he knew it was right there. That would make it stop. The thirst, the pain, all of it. All he had to do was- Peter suddenly threw himself back, somehow catching hold of the wall and skittering up it backwards as he stared wide eyed at Tony now stumbling and trying to get back on his feet. “Oh god, oh my god,” Peter pressed a shaking hand to his mouth, even through the mask he could feel the reason his jaw still ached. “Oh my god.”

“Don't run, we can fix this,” Tony called out just as Peter bolted, bouncing off the walls as he ran. “Jarvis, we've got a runner!”

“Lock-down implemented,” Jarvis sounded just as regretful as Tony felt as the tower started locking down.

“I told you we should have told him everything,” Bruce glared as he trotted off in the direction Spider-man had bolted.

“I'm an idiot.”

“If you say so, Sir.” Tony rolled his eyes at Jarvis.

-

When Bruce caught up to Spider-man the poor kid was curled up against the ceiling near the sealed window. “Hey, we can fix this, Tony wasn't wrong about that, we just need time. We can treat it until we figure out how to reverse it.”

Peter winced and shuffled away when Bruce got closer, grabbing his head. “Stay away.”

“Right, I trigger your danger sense, okay.”

Peter whined, clutching at his stomach when Bruce backed away, “It's your blood that's doing it, isn't it? It's because... It's because it's toxic if I- if I attacked you.”

“Honestly? Probably,” Bruce shrugged and offered a worried smile. “I'm sorry, Tony hoped we'd figure out a way to fix this before it got this bad. Come to the lab and we can at least stop the pain.”

Peter could feel tears welling up, “I'm so thirsty.”

“I know,” Bruce held out his arm to usher the boy down, staying at a distance when he saw the flinch, “We'll set up another transfusion. It'll help.”

“Isn't there a chance of it being rejected since I just had one a few days ago?”

“Yeah, but, do you really want to try the alternative?”

Peter shook his head as he tried to keep whatever was in his stomach where it was. “No.”

Bruce frowned, “Tony might have to set up the transfusion, if I can't even get close right now.”

Peter turned toward Tony, worried, “I honestly don't know what's worse right now.”

Tony closed his eyes, “Don't worry, I know how to find and tap a vein.” Bruce blinked at him and Tony just solemnly shook his head before circling the table to take the tourniquet. “How are you holding up?”

“I'd feel better if I was hanging off a building by my toes right now, at least I'd be in my element then.”

Tony coughed, trying to hide a smile as he pulled the strap tight and prepped the site. “Sharp stick.”

Peter blinked when his Spider sense didn't trigger but then he honestly couldn't care less, once the line began the pain and the thirst started fading. “Thank you.”

Tony sighed, and shrugged toward Bruce, “Kid, I need to see you, before the transfusion finishes.”

Peter was too far into that float haze, “You saw me earlier, at lunch.”

“I mean right now. I need to see what effects it's having on you.”

Peter blinked over at Bruce, half dazed and ran his tongue over his teeth before wincing and nodding. “Okay.”

Tony pinned his arm when he tried to reach up, “The line, I'll do it.”

Peter just dropped back down and nodded, “Okay.”

Tony helped pull the mask off and his eyes turned sad. “Kid, why didn't you tell us it was getting so bad?”

“It wasn't bad until, it suddenly got worse.”

Peter felt a soft touch to his shoulder and he lazily turned his head towards Dr. Banner, smiling, “It looks like you can finally get close, aye doc?”

Bruce was frowning, “Tony, we should have told him...”

“I know, Bruce, just don't right now. We need to fix this. Then you can yell at me all you want.”

Peter was honestly too relieved to not be in pain to even care about what they were talking about but he realized pretty quick they were talking to him now about him, “Huh?”

“The secondary mutation? Seems to be a strand of vampire bat,” Bruce stated as he nudged Peter's chin up.

“Smile for us,” Tony smirked at about the same time Peter chuckled and then grinned, “Damn, you were right Bruce, it's progressing.”

“The primary mutation slowed it but it's progressing pretty quick at this point. What's it been, 3 days since the first transfusion?”

“Yeah, we have to clear it out of his blood or it'll keep happening.”

“We need to figure out the cause, if his body's been fighting it it has to be viral or some kind of contagion.”

“But the contagion's not a contagion, it's some form of splicing that somehow became contagious.”

Peter blinked when his mind finally started feeling less hazy, “You're forgetting something... Something about an organism bonding with a host. Parasitic like.”

“But in your case it's not a parasite.”

“No, but it could be in the host,” Peter mumbled, “I got bit by a radioactive spider. All rights, I shouldn't have survived, the radiation should have killed me, I was lucky.”

Tony sighed, “You would be the lucky one to survive a second incident of it wouldn't you?”

Peter smiled, and shrugged, “Just my luck.”

“Alright, that means we need the host to figure out the how and to be able to isolate the gene causing the- symptoms. At least without risking your health.”

Peter groaned when he realized what Dr. Banner meant, without neutralizing all genetic mutations they'd have to find him again and get a base sample to go off. “Tony, do you still have my sample from before this?”

“Yeah, we could go off that but there's still a risk. This strain is still mutating. If we don't act quick at this point there's a chance that your body can become dependent on the gene it creates as it mutates it and, well it could kill you to remove it.”

“Has there been any more news on the 'Vampire killings'?”

“Yeah, at least two a night,” Tony looked away at those eyes blinking owlishly at him.

“Two a night, innocent people dying...”

Tony shook his head, “Seems he's got similar morals to you.” Peter blinked as he sat up, “Robbers, wanted murders, rapists. All of his victims weren't saints by any means.”

“My morals kept me from attacking you,” Peter glared at the line, “But I guess I'm lucky to have at least this out.”

“Yeah, most people aren't that lucky,” Tony shrugged as he watched Bruce take out the empty line and press gauze to the wound. “Problem with finding him is that this is New York, we're not short on bad people around here.”

Peter frowned and nodded, “I bet I could find him, after all, we've got something in common. A sense of right, even if it's for the wrong purpose in his case.”

“Sometimes, the only right thing is surviving,” Bruce shrugged and held out the mask, “Care to show us the way?”

Peter sighed at his mask before pulling it on, “This could take awhile.”

“We've got all night kid, just call me when you catch wind of him,” Tony tapped at the mask and waved a hand toward the window, “Jarvis, are we still on lock down? Why are these windows closed, can't you see Spider-man has work to do?”

“My mistake Sir,” Jarvis' voice made Peter smirk as he pulled on the mask.

“Thanks Jarvis, you're the best,” he called as he jumped out the window.

“I aim to please, sir,” was responded, even if the AI knew the young man only had a 10% chance of hearing him.

-

Peter was in the process of grabbing a bite, he beamed and thanked the vendor profusely when the older man had actually flagged him down only to shove a fresh dog in his hand, “Your money's no good here son, not with all the good you've done. Now go on, before you get swarmed. Shoo.”

“Thanks Stan, you're the best.”

“It's the least I can do after you saved my cart from that grease fire. Now go on.”

Peter webbed away before smirking at the dog. Stan barely blinked when a spoon of relish disappeared before the empty spoon dropped back into it's dish safe and sound.

“Tony, I've got nothing so far, a lot of action but no sight of him,” he said through a mouth full of relish, well once he figured out how to get the dog past his teeth.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, Stan gave me a dog. Hey, I was hungry and trust me you never turn that man down. He'll hold a grudge.”

Tony laughed, “I think I know who you're talking about and yeah I wouldn't even dare piss him off.”

Peter hummed as he finished his snack, “God that hit the spot. Anyway, have you heard anything over the wire?”

“Nothing that hasn't had reports of you.”

Peter smirked, a little proud. “I feel so much better being out here. I missed it.”

“It wasn't even a long weekend kid, just don't over exert yourself.”

“If fine Tony, I even ate, my stomach's fine. That's, that's the first sign.”

“Alright, just don't make yourself sick looking for this guy.”

“If it finds him I honestly don't care about getting a stomach ache to do it.”

Peter swung away, turning when he caught sound of a scream, “Tony I think I've got something.”

“Okay, Jarvis is tracking you,” Peter glared, “Hey, it's only so we can keep an eye on you in case. Do you have eyes on him?”

“I can't see him clearly but unless you know of anyone else in town in black that can fly without wings, I have a sinking feeling he just dove into an alley.”

“He can fly?”

“Apparently.”

“On my way.”

-

He dove after the dark figure and instantly swung out to snag a wrist in web when he looked to be about to grab the man in the alley. “Look, I get it, but this isn't the way to go about this.”

“What would you know,” that voice, growl really, caused that tingle up his spine again, it wasn't his Spider sense but something told him it was going to be the closest warning he'd get. “It hurts so much when I don't...”

Peter jumped and flipped, grabbing the other wall when he web was suddenly snapped away from the wrist, damn he'd have to be really strong to break it. “Look, I know, alright, I _know,_ but this isn't the way to do it. I have friends,” Peter jumped down when the man suddenly attacked him, barely missing hands clawing at him as he crouched and shimmed back to keep some distance. “We can make it stop. We can fix it, we just need your help to do that. Please, listen.”

Peter jumped away and spun when a clawed hand grabbed his ankle, wincing when the grip threatened to break it and caught himself to kick the man in the face. “I'm trying to help you here, help us both! Please, just listen!”

Peter's eyes widened when his throat was suddenly grabbed, he squirmed and gripped at the wrist, his other hand caught by the other clawed hand as he was pinned to the ground. “What would you know about it? How could you know?”

He panicked at those red eyes glaring at him and the teeth bared at him, “Because, because something happened. When you, bit me. It transferred the mutation. My friends, my friends can help. We want to help you, and we need your help to fix me too. I know what it's like. Like a knife is permanently stabbed into your gut and twisted. Like your skin turns to paper, like your eyes and mouth are full of sand. Nothing helps, no water, no food. Just, thirst. Please. Help us fix this. Help us stop the needless killing.”

Peter felt the hand around his wrist tighten before the features finally softened, “There's no help, nothing fixes it.”

“Tony Stark, Dr. Bruce Banner, their two of the best minds on the planet, if they can't help then they have friends that can. Please, let me take you to them, let me show you they can help. They've been helping me. They can help you.”

“There's no fixing this, they've tried everything,” Peter squirmed, earning another feral snarl and a tight squeeze at his throat. “It hurts.”

“I know, but my friends are on their way. Please come with us, we can set up a transfusion, or even... You don't have to kill, we can get you what you need.”

The grip loosened just enough for Peter to raise his head up, he blinked when his mind finally figured out how the man looked familiar, “Michael?” Those red eyes shot toward him, making him smile behind his mask, “Michael Morbius, I knew I recognized you from somewhere.”

“How do you,” Michael stepped back, finally letting him up.

“We, uh, we went to school together,” Peter offered before he caught the sound of repulsors, “Tony no!”

Michael was thrown away from him before Peter could even grab him, making him glare at Tony as he went to check on the now unconscious boy.

“Sorry, looked like he was attacking you.”

“I had it under control,” Peter glared as he gathered up his old friend, checking him over for a concussion.

“Yeah, you pinned to the ground and him straddling you, totally under control.”

“Head out of the gutter Stark...” Peter grumbled as he held out his old friend to Tony. “It'd be easier on you carrying him than me, but stay close in case he wakes up. I don't want him panicking, he understands I'm trying to help but seeing as how you attacked him-”

“Oh come on, kid, honestly?”

“Yeah, honestly.”

-

Peter was perched on the glass wall, watching his friend sleep, “How did this happen to him?”

“Alright, kid, spill it. Who is this?”

“Michael Morbius is his name, he's hell he's only a couple years older than me. I don't know how this happened, I don't even know what happened to him after fifth grade. He, uh he was a sick kid. He just kinda dropped off the map after, well there was an ambulance involved. After awhile I lost track of him. His dad kept telling me he was too sick to be in school or for visitors so I, I stopped calling. I guess I shouldn't have given up?”

Tony sighed and patted his shoulder, “Don't beat yourself up over it. At that age, if something had happened, I don't think his dad would have wanted to admit to a kid how bad it was either.”

Peter sighed as he rubbed his hands and snatched off one his gloves to frown at the nails starting to grow, “Any word on fixing this?”

Tony caught his hand and blinked at it before looking up at the mask, “How bad is it?”

“I'm thirsty,” Peter admitted, “But not thirsty enough to worry about it.”

Tony shook his head as he grabbed the other glove from Peter, not wanting them damaged as he winced when the nails scraped the glass behind the boy. “Tell me when it gets there.”

“We can fix this now that he's here. I just hope we can fix him too.”

“Bruce said it's vampire bat, in his case a severe mutation. We're not sure if we can completely get rid of it. He's still in the developmental stage of his life, but unlike you he doesn't have anything trying to help him, like your mutation is. But right now you're the one we have to stay focused on because once it completely bonds with your original mutation there might not be a way of isolating it.”

“As long as we can help him too.” Peter's head tapped the glass as he let it fall backwards, “Tony, what if this has been happening since he disappeared? What if this is what he'd been dealing with and he didn't have anyone there to help him?”

“Don't, kid, just don't, he has help now, that's all that matters.”

“He was hunting, before, but I don't think transfusions will help him. I don't know if he reacts to them like I do.”

“We'll cross that bridge when he wakes up.”

-

Peter winced when the sun started coming up, automatically covering his eyes then flailing and jumping away from his perch, “Jarvis, blinds!”

Michael jerked away from the light when his arm started burning before the blinds cut off the growing rays. “Wha-?”

“You're alright Michael, I didn't know the sun could hurt you. I'm sorry.”

“How could you have known,” Michael was gritting his teeth as those eyes settled around Peter's throat, he stepped back and subconsciously rubbed at his neck. “I'm sorry I'm just-”

“Thirsty, I know. I'll get Bruce to get a transfusion started.” Peter blinked when his wrist was grabbed.

“I did this to you? How?” Peter pulled his hand back, hiding the new nails and shrugged. “I can't take transfusions. They make me sick. Even after this. They've always made me sick.”

Peter blinked behind his mask, “Hey, Morbie, didn't you say your dad was a hematologist?”

“Yeah, he was. He couldn't figure out how to fix me though...”

“Any chance he tried um something with vampire bats since you couldn't take transfusions?”

Peter frowned, unseen, as those red eyes blinked up at him, “Yeah.”

“I'll get you that drink. You can still drink it right,” Peter asked as he shivered at the thought.

“Not frequently, it still makes me sick. Only a bag a week if I'm desperate two but then, I get worse than when I'm normally thirsty.”

“I take it you haven't had any for awhile.”

Michael shook his head, “I couldn't, I can't make the excuse to get into the hospital without dad. Even then, we couldn't do that often.”

“Where is he, what happened that you're out hunting, I mean surely there were other ways to get fresh-” Peter honestly couldn't bring himself to finish that sentence.

“He's been dead for two years.” Peter reached out when he saw his friend's eyes starting to tear up, “I was so sick and so thirsty, I couldn't even think. I had to make it stop hurting. He was trying to fix it and I... I couldn't even think to try and stop myself.”

Peter didn't think, yet again, and just reached out to hug his friend, “Don't worry, Morbie, we'll fix this.”

-

Tony smirked at the web hammock swaying softly in the corner of the lab, “You know your bed is about to break.”

Peter sleepily mumbled, curling up a little when his stomach started cramping, “I know, I'm on a time limit, I just wanted to take a nap but it's not working so well.”

“Let's see about getting you fixed up, then we'll take care of your friend. He can sleep for awhile.”

Peter blinked over at Michael still laying on the table, “We should check on him first. He was thirsty, but after the sun came up I had to have Jarvis keep the blinds closed. The sun hurts him.”

“Yeah, Jarvis said that but then he said you had everything under control so we decided to let you two catch up. Come on, we've got a little something for you to try out. Then we'll get your transfusion set up if it doesn't work out.”

“Wait, you've got a cure?”

“For you, probably, for him, well it'll take some more time.”

Peter shook his head as he dropped down. “I really hope you can help him. It's not his fault.”

Bruce gave him a tight lipped smile as he sat in the chair and pulled his web shooter away from his arm so he could find a vein. “How are you doing?”

Peter shook his head when his Spider sense started ringing loudly in his ears, “As long as this stops, just make it quick doc.”

“We should give you a transfusion first, honestly, in case...”

“Just get this over with. Please, I'm tired of it hurting.”

Bruce prepped the site, trying to step back when he saw the hand ball up, automatically tipping the new claws back open, “Relax your wrist, this isn't the best place to do this anyway.”

“Sorry,” Peter mumbled as he sat back and forced himself to stay still during the injection. “Any idea how long this'll take?”

“Honestly, no clue, it depends on if your strain has mutated enough to be unaffected or not.”

Peter yawned and sat back, “Finally figured out how this happened, well, getting contaminated I mean.”

“Oh?”

Peter chuckled and nodded, “Blood contamination. He was injured, I had my gloves on when I touched him; they were still on when I checked my neck wound. I infected myself with mutated blood. I don't know how I didn't see it before. Musta just went from there.”

Bruce smirked, “You were too close to the equation, you couldn't see the whole thing just some of the parts.”

“Feelin' really tired doc, I suspect that's normal?”

“Rest, it's been a long night. I'll check on you in a bit. I'll check on your friend while you rest.”

“He's probly thirsty, just, don't get within strike distance. We don't need a hulked out vampire,” Peter mumbled, sarcasm once again getting ahead of him.

“Don't worry, I won't. Though Tony-” Bruce smirked and Peter chuckled as he finally closed his eyes.

-

Peter blinked, hearing shop talk in the background as he blinked at the transfusion bag, “Huh?”

“Relax, kid, don't go moving around too much, you need that.”

“It didn't work?”

“So far it worked, the problem is even with your healing you needed a bit of a jump start clearing out the bad cells. Just go back to sleep, you'll feel better afterword.”

“What about Michael?”

Tony leaned against the wall and waved Bruce toward the boy, “You're the doctor.”

Bruce sighed and rubbed his eyes, “That's a little more complicated.”

Peter blinked and sat up, barely remembering to drag the IV around, “What happened? Is he alright?”

Tony placed a hand on his chest, “Easy kid, he means it's complicated in that. We can cure him but at this point we can't risk curing him.”

“This- mutation, was designed for him to be able to continue living when all other forms of medicine had failed. Right now, if we took that mutation away he'd, he wouldn't last a week.”

Peter fell back onto the bench hard enough that Tony stepped forward, fearing he was about to faint. “But, he said transfusion blood made him sick. There's no way, he can't stay like this.”

“That's what we're trying to figure out.” Tony sighed and rubbed at his neck. “We're working on it. At the moment we're looking into a blood substitute that his system will process and accept like normal blood. Once we can do that we might have a better solution for all this.”

Peter sighed and hung his head, “He'll go feral if it takes too long. It hurts too much to not,” he gulped and he shook his head. “I held out for days because you said the progress was slowed. With him, he goes through several pints in a night. You've seen how many...”

“We'll figure it out, we just, we're working on a way of buying time. Then we can fix it entirely.”

Bruce glared toward Tony, “We can't guarantee it will be a true fix until after adulthood though. The mutation was introduced before puberty so natural adaption applies unfortunately. It won't be as severe but there will be obvious abnormalities even if we return his genetics to normal.”

Peter rolled his eyes, “Okay so he might want some work later in life, I'm pretty sure at this point he won't give a flying fuck as long as he still has a life, and not one where he's going after people just to keep from being in pain or thirsty!”

Tony sighed as Bruce set up a screen to go back to the problem at hand. “Bruce is worried more about him retaining the thirst. Something to do with his body adapting to the necessity.”

“It wouldn't be bad, he'd be more likely to keep an iron rich diet rather than actually go for blood, I'm just worried about his body processing normal nutrients at this point. If the mutation has rewrote his system so that that's all he can stomach that would probably why he drinks so much. He's just, hungry.”

Peter winced, “But I could eat, I mean when I wasn't... thirsty anymore.”

“Again, stunted developmental, he doesn't have that luxury.”

Peter tried not to gag, “Okay, so even then, there's weird ways of getting it but no one needs to die over it.” He drug the IV toward the screen to get a better look. “Oh god, you weren't kidding, his body is literally attacking itself.” Peter watched as the twisted blood cells on the screen dwindled. The few healthy ones shriveling as what looked like platelets attacked them before white cells started cleaning up the obviously useless ones.

Tony was watching it, frowning at Bruce, “His body just keeps producing the damaged cells, that's why we have to figure out the cause and stop it. But, he's had every form of medical test and procedure. Hell, the kid barely has any of the parts he was born with internally. I found his old records, the trials his father put that kid through. They'd tried it all. Nothing cleared up the cause. After transplants and even gene therapy they finally moved on to the extreme of it and turned to other species to try and slow the disease. That was the only thing that seemed to work, but it's a band aid it's not something a human can continue on with. Not to survive.”

“God Michael, what have you lived through,” Peter mumbled as he blinked at the cells. “Any chance you have an idea to fix the cell production?”

Bruce shrugged, “We can't even figure out what's causing the phenomena.” Peter frowned as the number of cells quickly dwindled. “Tony has this obscure idea about nano machines helping clean out the overly hostile cells but honestly I can't think of any way that will work. His body just can't replace them quick enough and even then it'll just replace them with more damaged cells.”

“Nano machines to filter the damaged cells so the platelets and white blood cells don't go psychotic on the healthy ones? Would work if you were sure the other cells weren't actually damaged and causing the problem.”

Tony's eyes lit up, Bruce turned a concerned look towards him, “Tony, whatever just went through your head, no.”

“I don't know what you're talking about.” Tony smirked and shrugged it off before turning toward the data, “But if I was thinking of something, I would be wondering what would happen if we bypassed the genetics all together. Forced the body to produce healthy cells instead of damaged ones or even bypass even that and replaced them with functioning cells that otherwise don't need filtered or maintained.”

“Tony we are not...”

“Bruce, big guy, I love you but honestly look at the kid's chart, at this point medicine has done nothing but cause him pain. Let's try science this time, and not the genetic kind.”

“Tony the amount of things blood does for the system, if you even mess up one thing it's fatal.”

“That's why I've got you to make sure I don't forget something. Well you and Jarvis of course.”

“Tony,” both blinked at Peter, “How long do you think it would take to even attempt something like that?”

Tony rubbed his eyes, “Any chance you can give me a week?”

“I don't think his body will hold out that long without fresh blood, and honestly I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Three days was horrible enough for me. I can't imagine how bad it'll be for him.”

Tony scuffed his shoe towards the wall, “We'll run some more tests on his saliva, make sure you really were affected by mutated blood rather than the bite, then we'll,” Tony shrugged, “We'll burn that bridge when we come to it.”

Peter scratched at his neck as he glanced toward Michael's room, “I don't know what to do here...”

Tony smirked, it turned into a full blown smile, “You know, I've got this intern.” Peter's eyes widened behind his mask, “From what I've heard he was an old friend of the kid's too. Maybe I should give him a call. Might do him some good to see a friend he recognizes.”

Bruce was frowning, that confused look that creased his brows as he blinked at Tony. “Honestly you want to risk another contamination”

“Don't worry Brucey, the kid can handle himself. What do you say Underroos, should I give him a call while you get some rest?”

“And Spider-man should be here under observation Tony. In case-”

“I assure you Dr. Banner I'll keep you well informed of Spider-man's status in health while he's resting.”

Tony grinned up at the ceiling, some days he wished he had a physical form for the AI because he could honestly kiss him for catching on and playing along. “Bruce you should get some rest too, how long have you been up? Look it can wait for a few hours, you know a brain works better with a good night's rest. Or at least, that's what you keep telling me.”

Bruce caught the frame of the door as he was ushered out, “Tony, whatever you're doing, tell me it's safe.”

Tony patted the back of Bruce's hand, “Don't worry, big guy, it's as safe as it is right now.”

“That's not very safe,” Bruce grumbled but let go to be led out before Tony's head poked back in. “You good with getting that IV out or do you need some help?”

“Nah, I'm good.” Peter smirked, “I'll head back to my suite in a minute.”

Tony nodded as he continued to lead Bruce away.

-

Peter snuck back to the lab in his civis, rubbing his arms as he stepped toward the bed Michael still rested on. “Hey Morbie,” he couldn't help but say, smirking shyly when those reddened eyes blinked open at him. “Remember me?”

Those eyes blinked closed before Peter saw a smirk spread across those too pale lips, “Parker.”

“Yeah, you got it in one.” Peter smiled as he shifted back to sit on the nearby table.

Michael shook his head, “No it took me two.” Peter's smile fell as those eyes settled on him, “I can smell it you know.”

Peter gulped, hunching his shoulders. “You can?”

Michael sleepily blinked and nodded as he yawned, “Thank you, for- for remembering me really, and trying to help me.”

“There's no try, okay Morbie, we will help you! We just, it's going to take time. Tony has an idea, it'll bypass the system causing the damaged and deteriorating cells all together even if it has to be taken that far but we'll help you. You don't deserve this.”

“Yeah, dad had that type of ambition too...”Michael sat up, swaying softly, blinking when Peter was there to help him settle. “It's been like this since- the sun just throws me for a loop.”

“Makes you feel all tired and clumsy, yeah, uh I know.”

Michael's eyes settled on him, “You-”

“I was, but it looks like I'm not anymore. I mean, yeah I'm tired but that's more because I'd been out all night trying to find you.”

Michael shook his head when he felt the urge to lean toward the beat drumming in his ears and rubbed his eyes, “I'm sorry, there's no way I would be able to control myself long enough to wait out a cure.”

“We'll figure this out, I swear it, we just need time.”

“I ran out of that years ago, all I have left is borrowed time.”

Peter shook his head, “I guess I've got some I can spare.” Michael blinked at the shrug and smile.

-

Michael, though he wasn't exactly on a complete quarantine didn't like leaving the lab much. He wandered every now and then, usually with Spider-man or Peter by his side but otherwise he didn't really seem to trust being around people. “How are you doing tonight?”

Peter had taken to staying at the tower as Spider-man, explaining to his aunt that he was alright, free and clear but he had a friend there with a similar condition and he wanted to be there for him so he had someone that knew what he was going through. She'd looked worried, even barged in on them during one of their game nights they'd started to help detract from Tony and Bruce bickering in the background about Michael's treatment. He'd been lucky he'd been Peter that day, though Bruce still seemed to have deaf ears and bad eyes when he noticed Peter wandering without his suit and mask. He only ever shrugged when someone mentioned the 'civi' hanging out with the vamp. “Aunt May,” Peter jumped up, getting tangled in the cord and falling when Michael grabbed him automatically to keep him from hitting his head on the nearby Dummy watching over their shoulders. “Um, hi. Uh, you remember Michael?”

Aunt May had gone so pale when she noticed those too red eyes watching the floor or the sharp tooth smirk, “Hi Mrs. Parker.”

Peter bit his lip as he shifted to sit by his friend and turned puppy dog eyes up to his aunt as her eyes turned sad, “Michael? Oh you poor boy.” Michael froze, Peter automatically nudging his aunt's shoulder when she grabbed him in a bear hug, rambling about Michael not liking people so close.

Michael pulled away a bit too forcefully, shutting Peter's rant off as he stepped away and backed up, “I'm sorry, no offense Mrs. Parker, but I'm not a really good person to be that close to right now.”

“Do you need another shot?” Peter spoke automatically, making his aunt blink at him when Michael shook his head.

“No, I'm okay, just, it's a lot to take in at once.” Michael settled back away from them as they both stared worryingly at him. “I'm fine, I'm just a bit thirsty is all.”

“I'll see if I can drag someone away from their screen,” Peter grumbled as he headed over to where the science duo was ranting at each other, “Hey, hate to break up the love fest but Morbie's thirsty.”

Both went silent in mid argument to blink, “He is? But he already had his meal.”

“Look I know and you know but Aunt May kinda hugged him and he's thirsty. Is there anything we can do about it?”

Bruce sighed and rubbed his eyes, “We have something we can test but your aunt can't be here, in case it has side effects.”

“Right now, honestly, she seems really freaking accepting of what she's seeing. What type of effects are you worried about?”

“That it could trigger true hunger and cause an incident.”

Peter sighed, “Any numbers on the probability?”

“It's under a 4% chance of causing that reaction,” Jarvis' voice sounded, making Bruce glare and Peter smirk. “Though it should in no way cause the deterioration of cells to accelerate to cause any feral behavior.”

“Alright then, even if it makes him more thirsty he shouldn't need blood to keep himself in check.”

“Peter his system only seems to be able to process blood.”

“I know, and thanks to you two we figured out why transfusion blood made him sick, and fixed that. No matter what he can take nutrition from if it's just thirst all humans can process water. We can handle the thirst we just need a jump start so his system isn't craving blood.”

Tony was smirking at Bruce, who finally sighed and handed over a stoppered test tube, “Don't let him drink it all without tasting it first, if it doesn't bother him then he can drink the rest.”

Peter blinked at it and tipped it a little, “Why is it red?”

Tony chuckled, “The kid might as well be a humming bird; red means food to him.”

Peter winced, “Oh, right, yeah, that.”

He nudged himself in next to Michael and handed him the tube, “Little sip then if you like it bottoms up.”

Michael licked his lips as he pulled off the stopper, wincing when there was no scent to it, “This is-”

“Your new medicine, hopefully, just take a small sip and tell us if there's anything wrong with it.”

Peter scooted over as his friend took a short draw off the tube then blinked when he suddenly knocked back the whole thing, “Whoa, easy Morbie, we don't know if it works right.”

Peter caught his friend's shoulder when he seemed to sway, he blinked when he recognized the dazed, calm look on his friend's face, “I feel better than I have in a long time,” Michael was smiling as he settled into the touch, his eyes dropping as he threatened to fall asleep. “I don't feel thirsty.”

Peter flailed when Bruce came to check on them, “A little help here, I think he's out.”

“Tony, did you add a sedative? Or possibly something illegal to that?”

Tony rolled his eyes, “Seriously Banner? I do have some morals, he's like 12.”

“He's 17 Tony, and again, little help? I can move him on my own but I don't wanna wake him up.”

Bruce helped Peter shift Michael so he could lay down on the couch, “Sorry, we didn't foresee this.”

“What was in that?” Peter hissed as he watched his worried aunt lay the blanket Dummy had cheerfully brought her over the sleeping boy.

“Relax, it's basically a concentrated dose of chemicals that simulate grade A plasma that's all. Without any of them that might trigger his intolerance to preservatives.”

“God, was I that bad?”

“Actually, no, we might have to lower the concentration next time. But for now, we need to check him over, make sure his blood isn't attacking the chemicals we used.”

“Right, tests, right,” Peter circled the couch to nudge his sleepy friend, “Hey, Morbie, we need to draw blood.”

“To test the reaction, I know, I can hear you you know.”

“Oh, right, cause, yeah anyway, just don't panic if you feel a needle.”

Michael's head rolled toward the two watching from the other side of the couch and his arm flopped to rest on the back of it.

-

Peter frowned at the latest turn in the attempt, “So, it's a drink, that's all?”

“Yeah, there isn't enough for his blood supply to stay up so he'd have to drink at least 2 gallons in a day just to bring up his blood cell count to normal, well for him.”

“Well at least it keeps him in his right mind. It's progress. And he hasn't been reacting badly to it. But he still needs real blood even with it.”

“Yeah, we know, we're still working on it.”

“Any chance that can be used as a blood substitute? Or is it just a drink?”

“At the moment, it's just a chemical mimic of a fresh feeding, it can't be used as a synthetic transfusion.”

“Damnit,” Peter grumbled and shrugged, “It's better than him losing his mind when the craving gets too bad.”

“Yeah, now we just have to work on specializing a synthetic substitute for the damaged cells.”

“Would it be enough for us to get the mutation out of his system?”

Bruce shook his head, “Humans aren't designed to survive on blood, and they wouldn't be able to take enough transfusions to keep him alive very long if we did. The deterioration of his blood is part of his normal genetic code, the mutation didn't cause that, his genes did.”

Peter sighed and rubbed his eyes, “Alright, so, his body is producing the cells regardless of the mutation. What options are there so far on fixing that?”

“He's had a liver transplant, no dice. Hell he nearly died when his body first tried to reject it, but the charts say that he turned around real quick. They suspected it was the immune suppressors for the transplant that caused the over reaction. They switched them and he was fine after that. Well, until they figured out he was still losing blood at a dangerous rate. Something is wrong with his brain chemistry, it has to be. And since screwing with someone's brain is a bit frowned on they tried gene therapy instead. That didn't even bat an eye on the blood loss though. We'd either have to implant something that forced his body to produce normal, healthy cells, which is tricky or we'd have to completely remove the natural aspect of his blood and synthesize a substitute that would act as the healthy cells would and we'd have to make sure it could supply the body with everything normal blood does.”

Peter sighed, rubbing his eyes, “Both of those options are dangerous.”

“They're deadly if we fuck this up, kiddo, why do you think we've been trying everything else?”

“All it takes is his body reacting badly to either of the options and it would kill him.”

“Alright, what's next then?”

Bruce sighed as he took out a syringe, “We've been testing this and on screen it seems to help slow the deterioration but, there's always the unknown aspect of being within the body.”

Peter took the prepped syringe and frowned at it, “What's the worst case here?”

“Same as usual, with the variable of allergic reaction.”

Peter blinked, “Wait, if it's in his blood, how would we be able to stop the reaction?”

“That really, depends on the reaction. Minor reaction, same as any, steroids, medication, make sure he can stay conscious and breathing while they take effect, but if it bonds with the cells and causes a severe one, we'd have the problem with keeping him breathing while we clean it from his system. Unfortunately it would take a massive amount of blood and dialysis to clear it out completely.”

Peter nodded, “Alright, so we're doing this close to the machines. Alright,” he handed back the needle, “I'll tell Morbie what's up.”

Peter was getting a tingle up his spine when Michael laid down on the table and pulled back his sleeve, “Tony, I'm getting a bad feeling. Are you sure we should try it now or wait for the long term effects on the tests?”

“The problem with that is Michael's blood eats itself long before we can get a long term test sample.”

“I'll be alright Peter, don't worry. Honestly the worst thing it could do is make me thirsty and you've figured out how to counter that, even if it's only temporary.”

Peter gulped down his next protest and watched as Michael watched the injection, “Just, speak up immediately if it starts feeling weird.”

“I can literally levitate, how much more 'weird' could this get?”

“Which reminds me, we need a functioning MRI to check that out.”

“Don't you have pins in your leg from when you broke it?”

Michael smirked at Peter's question, “I did. I uh, removed those after this happened, they hurt too much.”

Peter looked mortified, “You did?”

Michael turned sad eyes toward him and shrugged, “I was high on fresh plasma at the time, it hurt less than the pins did.”

“Were they leeching?”

“Not from what dad could figure out.”

Tony looked at Bruce worryingly, “Mind if we test your tolerance of non-organic objects?”

“As long as I'm not setting off metal detectors I don't care.”

Peter sat close by and watched his friend through what felt like several hours while Bruce or Tony cycled through to gather blood samples and check vitals. “Anything,” was finally asked when Bruce's brow creased when he gathered another sample.

“His body is flushing the serum at an alarming rate.” Bruce sighed as he held the tube up to the light, “It's probably completely gone by now. Test failed. We can't do a chemical substitute.”

Peter sighed as Michael just sat up, “That mean I'm free to go?”

“You don't need to stay close to us,” Bruce said as the samples finally finished analyzing, “It's clear.”

“Would the mutation be what's causing it or the initial condition?”

“That's the problem, we can't tell and we cannot risk neutralizing the mutation because if it's not, we won't have the time to come up with another treatment.”

Michael sighed, “Alright, since the test failed, what did you want to test me with?”

Bruce blinked then shook his head and rub his eyes, “Are you sure you want to go through that right after this?”

“Worst scenario would be it hurting like the pins did, I don't mind.”

Bruce sighed, “I'm exhausted, it can wait, go enjoy your visit. I'll see about what Tony has in mind in the morning. I don't trust my hands to not shake enough for that type of activity.”

Peter frowned as his friend standing up and grabbing at the leads they used to double check his vitals before pulling his shirt back on. “Wanna catch a movie?”

Michael laughed, it was so dark it broke his heart, “It's 1am.”

“Hey, this is New York, something's playing a late show.”

“Not that late,” he grumbled while pulling his shirt over his head, “And honestly, I stopped trying to go out a long time ago.”

“Okay, so no movie, how about getting some Insomnia cookies and coffee?”

Michael's red eyes settled on him with a look he knew too well, “I can't eat, remember?”

Peter threw up his hands and settled them on his hips, “Alright, we're going out of this sterile tower. I don't care where or why we're going out and enjoying time away from here.”

Michael planted his feet, making Peter blink when he literally drug his friend a good three feet before he realized the resistance, “I should, uh, eat first.”

“How long has it been?”

“Nearly 24 hours,” Michael admitted while Peter glared at him, “I'm fine Parker. The serum's been helping, I haven't been hungry.”

“Morbie, just because you don't feel thirsty doesn't mean your body doesn't need it! You should be eating regularly regardless if you're hungry. We don't need you passing out from blood loss!”

“I've just been so happy I haven't been thirsty I hadn't thought about it,” Michael admitted as he finally stepped up to follow Peter. “Uh, shouldn't we tell them we're going out?”

“Jarvis can take care of that- once we're gone I hope.”

“I should warn you, Sir has told me to alert him immediately once Michael's bio-metrics have left the building.”

Peter bit his lip, knowing that was the indication that Jarvis was on their side but couldn't go against the protocols set. “Alright, does the roof count as 'left the building'?”

“Not as of this time, sir.”

He smirked, “Come on, Morbie, we're going star gazing.”

-

Peter was frowning over his dog, watching his friend as he took a bite of his dog. “Sorry,” he mumbled through a mouthful while Michael just shrugged and tilted his bottle of water at him. “Don't worry about it. A man's gotta eat.”

Peter gulped hard and snagged his soda, “It just seems thoughtless.”

Michael chuckled, “You practically made me chug 4 pints before we left the roof of the tower. That's not thoughtless.”

“Yeah, well you could argue that was for self preservation.”

Michael snorted then blinked, “Time to move again?”

“Yep,” Peter scarfed the rest of this dinner before pulling down his mask. “Meet you at the bridge?”

“Alright,” Michael gave him a head start before tossing the bottle in the bin and flying off, taking an alternative route and putting on speed when he swore he saw a hint of red and gold in his peripheral.

-

“Looks like dad's here to ruin the fun,” Peter sighed when Michael reached the meeting point. They both sighed at the streak of red and gold heading straight for them. “That took longer than I thought.

“Well, I did dismantle the tracker he had on this suit, so that's not how he found us, unless Karen?”

Michael smirked at the electronic voice he'd gotten accused to sounding off before the sound of repulsion overpowered the voice, “What the hell do you two think you're doing?”

“Ut oh, dad voice,” Peter hung his head, “We just needed some space, it's claustrophobic in that tower.”

Michael scooted away from the edge when Iron Man landed. “I wasn't going anywhere, I was staying with Parker. I even drank before we left, I'm not any danger to people.”

Tony's face plate shot open, “Look kid, this isn't about me trying to keep you caged, this is about SHIELD catching wind of a very dangerous mutant running loose. We have to keep you under surveillance while you're-”

“Liable to tear out someone's throat?” Michael finished as he sighed and held up his arms, “I'm not resisting.”

Tony rolled his eyes, “Look, kid, you're not under arrest... yet, but if anyone recognizes you from when you were feral you could be.”

“I know,” Michael's eyes fell as he sighed, “So, why not just cure me then? You're able to by now.”

Tony sighed as the suit opened to let him step down. “Because it would kill you. That's why your father couldn't cure you either. He knew it would kill you.”

Michael laughed, “He did this to me because it was supposed to 'cure' me.”

Tony rubbed his eyes and sighed, “Yeah well, parents tend to do pretty stupid shit to save their kids. Even go as far as making their life hell, to ensure they continue living.”

“Wish he woulda run by the outcome with me before he told me he found a 'cure' first. Woulda saved a lot of people a lot of pain.”

Tony sighed and rubbed his eyes while he climbed back into the suit to follow the two back to the tower. “Jarvis, tell Bruce to start the testing for the cure. Tell him to keep Michael informed on the process. If the kid is anything like his dad was, he'll understand why we haven't done it yet.”

“As you wish, Sir.”

-

Peter was perched on the back of the couch sitting at the edge of the lab, frowning as his friend slept. “Do you even realize how creepy that is?” He couldn't help but snort as Michael shifted to allow him to sit down on cushion at his feet, “And that's saying something coming from me.”

“I didn't want to wake you. How are you feeling?”

“Tired, otherwise having a weird dream about this gargoyle watching me sleep,” Michael chuckled as Peter glared. “I'm fine, honestly.”

They both blinked at the chirp then laughed when Dummy waved a glass at them. “Thanks Dummy, but I'm not thirsty. And Michael can't drink smoothies.”

Michael blinked when the glass was pushed towards him, a more forceful whirl and chirp was the response they got until he finally took it, “Did Tony send you to make me try this?”

Peter sniffed at the glass while Dummy just happily trudged by, chirping and swinging his arm as if going “Kids”, “It smells like a normal blueberry smoothie.”

“If by 'normal' you include something green,” Michael mumbled as he gulped hard at the thought of drinking it. “I'm just gonna run this to Tony, get a second opinion on it. Plus leaving him to clean up the results.”

Peter snorted then winced, “Don't force it.”

“Oh trust me, the only thing forced is me drinking this crap if he does plan to test my stomach.”

-

Michael was even paler than usual, “Honestly Parker, you have the worst friends...”

“I told you not to force it.”

Michael shook his head, gulping hard, “What's the chance of getting something I can stomach?”

“Um, slim to none? Sorry Morbie they need a baseline test before they can even start trying to get you back on solids.”

“Okay, Jarvis, might wanna call it,” Michael actually shot up from the couch to made a beeline toward the bathroom, nearly mowing over Clint when he turned the corner. “Sorry.”

“What the hell?”

“Upset stomach, Tony's trying to get him on normal foods again, it's not sitting right.”

“What'd Tony give him?” Clint plopped down and nudged Spidey's knee when he seemed distracted.

“Oh, sorry, blueberry smoothie. With a touch of kelp I think.”

“Wait, after how long being off real food he gave him what?”

“Yeah, that, I'm surprised Morbie made it this long.”

“How long's that?”

“15 minutes give or take.”

“Wow, he did better than most. Let me have a word with Tony, I might have some expertise on getting people back on solid food.”

-

Michael was making a face at the cup of broth he was handed, “I need you to tell me if you feel nauseous after a sip, don't go chugging that. It's basic chicken broth but it's store bought so it's probably got some stuff in it we don't usually think about.”

“I already feel nauseous...” Michael winced at the smell, “Preservatives, it just smells like, salt and just, preservatives.”

“Says the guy that survives off copper and salt? Okay so, scale of one to ten?”

“Ten out of ten guarantee to end up coming back up.”

“Alright, just do me a favor, I'll grab a bin, just take a swig and confirm the tastes that make you feel nauseous, you don't have to swallow it just give me a list if you can.”

Michael barely got the cup to his lips before he shook his head and spit it into the bin, “Texture. Just no.”

“Texture? Right, store bought, excess fat?”

Michael was actually rinsing his mouth out when he shook his head, “I don't even want to ruin it for you, just please don't ask me to try that again.”

Clint was confused enough to take the mug and sniff at it before taking a sip and made a face, “Yeah that's gotten too cool, I get it.”

“Trust me, you don't and you don't want too,” Michael shuddered and sat back away from the mug. “Pepper, preservatives, salt. There's just, it's just wrong.”

“Well you've been stuck with blood for so long kid, do you even remember what real food tastes like? What it even feels like?”

Michael frowned at the mug and looked paler when he turned away, “Yeah, I remember, it's just sorta- faded.”

“Let me try this the right way, we'll see if that's better. But first, I need to go shopping for some real fresh foods to test this out properly. Hey Jarvis, could you ask Tony if I can snag a jet for a shopping trip?”

“I, don't see the correlation between your normal definition of 'shopping trip' and this one Agent Barton.”

Clint smirked, “I'm going straight from farm to table, it's a distance away but I can guarantee home grown meat and produce with no preservatives.”

“If that's the case, Sir may be inclined to allow it should you tell him your secret.”

“He'll have to earn that secret Jarvis.”

-

Peter was rubbing at his eyes, completely forgetting his mask was on and nudged at it as best as he could to re-position the eyes when he walked into the kitchen to Tony and Clint having some kind of yelling match. “What'd I miss?”

Clint beamed at him while Tony threw his hands up and started rambling about bird flu. “Shell head is just pissed I brought back fresh food.”

“Fresh!?! That fucking thing is still clucking, in my kitchen! What the hell bird brain?!”

Peter blinked behind his mask, yawning as he left the room to go see if Michael could explain what the hell was going on. “Morbie, hey Morbie. Tony and Clint are arguing about something in the kitchen. Might wanna check it out.”

Peter tugged off his mask as Michael yawned and grumbled as he rubbed his eyes while Michael shuffled off. “Jarvis, is it safe to travel to the kitchen?”

“It is now sir.”

“Thanks J,” Michael mumbles, setting his shoulder against the corner of the elevator before curling up, falling back to sleep.

“Michael?” He grumbled and curled up more, pulling away from the voice threatening his sleep. “One of these days you have to let us figure out how you do that...”

Michael finally opened his eyes when he felt a nudge at his side, pushing his should away from the wall and leaving him drifting when he finally started waking up. “What do I gotta do to get some sleep?”

Bruce was the one smirking at him as he shrugged, “If I was Tony I might mention something about belfries but seeing as how he would still find a reason to bother you there.” He shrugged as he chuckled.

“Spidey said something about bird brain and metal head having a yelling match in the kitchen that I just _have_ to see.”

Michael blinked at the sudden explosion of feathers and clucking, “What the actual fuck?”

“Hey kiddo, just in time, care for a snack?”

He couldn't help the wince or slight gagging noise when Clint pinned the bird. “Animal blood makes me sick, but, I shouldn't be here if you plan on butchering a fresh animal. It, it still has the same effect of a fresh wound, and I haven't had a drink in a few days.”

Clint shrugged away when the chicken suddenly flapped before pinning down the wings and holding it closer to him, “You, uh, might want to not be here for the next couple of hours then. I didn't want to risk the meat going off by butchering it at home and bringing it in, in case there's something you're tasting that we can't.”

“That's alright, I'm just going back to bed, I don't see why Spidey woke me up for this. Just a normal day here at the tower.”

“Normal day,” Tony grumbled as he grabbed the whole pot of coffee and stomped out of the room, “Barton that shit better be cleaned up before I come back in here.”

“What the fuck Stark you took the pot!”

“Consider it punishment.”

Michael sleeping blinked down at Peter curled up in his bed, “You little shit you just wanted my bed, didn't you?”

He grumbled as he nudge him over until he was able to climb in and curl up on the other side. “Still a bed hog, aye Parker?”

-

The hypnotic rhythm pulsed next to his ear, drawing him from sleep. He turned toward it automatically, licking his lips when he nosed against it, thirst suddenly drawing out the urge to bite. The pulse shifted away, the warm curled against him shifting softly, as if sensing his intent before reddened eyes shot open. Michael gasped and shoved away from his friend curled against him, floating away until the wall was suddenly hitting his back and curled up as he tried to get the urge under control. “Jarvis, blinds, raise them high enough I can't reach him.”

Peter shifted away from the sudden light in his face, grumbling as he curled away from it, “Jarvis, lights off.”

“I'm sorry, sir, but it's for your safety.”

Peter grumbled and blinked sleepily as he turned toward the figure continuing to shift away from the raising light. “Morbie? What's wrong?”

“Thirsty, woke up thirsty.”

“How bad is it?”

“You need to get away from me, now.”

Peter's eyes widened as he looked toward the door, “Jarvis, are Tony and Bruce aware of the situation?”

“They've been alerted.”

“Eta?”

“A few minutes.”

“Then I'm not going anywhere.”

Michael nearly pounced on Bruce when they got through the door, “Slow down, it's transfusion blood, don't drink too much!”

He honestly couldn't care at that point, he just needed to sink his teeth into something before the feral haze took over. “I'm okay,” he finally gasped when he drank the second bag. “I'm okay now.”

“What happened?” Bruce asked once he realized Spider-man had been laying on the bed. “Did, did, something trigger it?”

Peter tilted his head in confusion, Michael just waved a hand, “Spidey fell asleep in my bed, and I honestly didn't think twice about just going to sleep.”

“Okay, so, what, proximity to food source?”

“I guess.”

Tony sighed and rubbed his eyes, “Okay, no more sleepovers until we get that worked out.”

“Proximity to food source, what are you talking about?”

Tony groaned, “Ever pass out after a long night and had a bag of chips or slice of pizza in your room and just grab it in the morning 'cause you were hungry?”

Peter blinked behind his mask, “Oh... great so I'm cold pizza now? I see how you are Morbie.”

“I do not want to hear that from you you're the one that fell asleep in My bed.”

Tony rolled his eyes and waved a hand toward them, “And none of that, either,” he wiggled his fingers as he left while Bruce rubbed his eyes.

“What? None of what?”

Bruce shook his head, “Hate to say it but he has a point, no uh funny business? With... whoever.”

Michael pinched the bridge of his nose while Peter had a miniature meltdown, “What? Seriously, is that all he thinks goes on?”

“He's Tony Stark, I'm pretty sure that's all he thinks about other than gadgets and gizmos,” Bruce was chuckling as he left the two to their little rant.

-

Michael had fallen asleep during the movie night, surprising everyone seeing how he was the first one out cold but no one could really fault him, he was still trying to get use to being awake during the day so...

Spider-man's head kept drooping as the night went on, again not all that unusual seeing as the teen still had class and patrol as well as his spending every bit of free time at the Tower trying to help his friend. What everyone was startled about was how quick Spidey was to curl up next to Michael and pass out once he seemed to finally give up on staying awake. Though everyone swore they heard at least one camera phone take a picture once he settled there and refused to move, no one said a word. Tony might have had Jarvis snag a copy of the image but he'd never, willingly, give up who he got it from.

Peter woke up first, or rather he was rudely woken up by a crash and cursing, “Jarvis, lights.”

An interesting string of cursing met his ears before he could even fully wake up, letting him know that no it wasn't Cap and it didn't sound like Clint -who mind you wouldn't be cursing nearly as clearly seeing as how the archer tended to sneak through the vent system this early if at all- and Bruce wouldn't have been cursing and hopping around from a stubbed toe that was for sure. “Jarvis, my man, why didn't you turn on the lights when I entered?”

“I'm sorry, Spider-man and Michael were sleeping in the common room, I didn't wish to disturb them.”

“Oh, yeah, a little warning woulda been nice too.” Peter poked his head up, “Oh, hey Spidey, um everyone decent?”

Peter's head hit the back of the couch, “Why is everyone insinuating we're a thing? Seriously?”

“Shut it Web for brains I'm trying to sleep here.”

“Oh I love you too Morbie.”

“Well that could be part of it,” Spidey groaned and let his head drop onto the back of the couch again. “I'm Sam by the way, we haven't really formerly introduced.”

“Nice to meet you.”

Sam laughed as he chanced a peak over the back of the couch, “Woah, what's with the Lugosi get up?”

Michael just waved a hand to shoo him away, “Sleeping, bleh and all that. Jarvis, lights?”

“I'm sorry sir, it seems that the majority has become use to them being on.”

Michael groaned and tried to hide under the pillow. “Come on Morbie, up and at um, I'm sure Clint has some food you can try today.”

“Don't remind me I feel sick just thinking about it.”

“Hey, Clint ain't that bad of a cook. Now, if you wanna feel sick, have Tony make it.”

Peter laughed, “Um, Michael's got very weird dietary requirements.”

Sam blinked at the very sinister smile Michael gave and jumped back, “Woah, hold up, I am NOT on the menu.”

“You probably will be at some point,” Michael mumbled, “Everyone here's been donating so I can stay in my right mind. They're working on a cure but, it's not looking good.”

Peter blinked, “Wait, you knew that?”

Michael yawned and rubbed his eyes, giving up on sleep, “Yeah...”

“Wait wait, Morbie hold up,” Peter jumped over to land on the wall, stopping his progress, “How?”

Michael rubbed his eyes, yawning again, “How the fuck do you think?” Peter just tilted his head and Michael nearly growled, “You all have a different scent, I can, I can smell it okay? I know who's who.”

What time was it? No seriously, what time was it? Michael was too groggy to bother asking Jarvis as he sat at the island and blink at the sudden mug set in front of him, an obvious apology offering from Sam for waking them up. “Thanks but I can't drink that.”

Sam was blinking, “Really? Wow, wait so like, seriously?”

“Unfortunately, yeah, if it ain't water or blood I have problems with it.”

“Yuck, uh I'm sorry I didn't mean-”

“Trust me, if I didn't have to survive on it, I'd agree.”

“We're working on it, we lucked out and were able to get him to drink some of the broth Clint made.”

“Didn't settle well but it was better than the damn smoothies Tony keeps trying to get me to drink.”

“Wait, so you're like, really a vampire? How the hell?”

“Genetic splicing.”

“Morbie was one of the unlucky ones, unlike me,” Peter shrugged as he grabbed coffee, nearly forgetting to lift up his mask before taking a drink.

Michael started chuckling, “So, you're telling me you've never once even thought about a fly omelet since the whole spider thing?”

Peter nearly choked on his coffee, “What? Ew gross, like seriously just ew.”

Michael snorted as he grabbed a bottle of water, “I'm calling bullshit, you went after insects at some point afterward, I know you had to.”

Peter sighed and dropped his head, shaking it, “Alright, I caught them. No eating involved though, honest. And I only caught them because they were just, right there,” Peter threw his hands in front of his face, “It was automatic, like when something is flying around in your peripheral, I just, caught it instead of batting it away okay.”

“Riiiiight,” Michael smirked as he took a drink. “You're thinking about it.”

Peter was too busy looking mortified behind his mask, though the lifted portion did convey it effectively enough that even Sam was laughing now. “Just, no okay, just no.”

Bruce came shuffling in soon after, making everyone shift a little to allow enough room to make it to the coffee maker, “Any change,” was asked once Bruce had wiped the sleep from his eyes and gotten his first sip of caffeine.

“Well, Sam made eggs and I didn't feel like hurling at the smell? Does that count?”

“Any chance of you eating any of them?”

“Doc, it's too early for throwing up...”

“Okay, what about some milk then? Just milk, nothing else special.”

Michael made a face, thinking about the last time he'd tried anything with milk in it, aka the smoothies Tony keep trying to get him to drink. “How about fresh orange juice watered down?”

Bruce stopped in mid drink, “Wouldn't the acid upset you?”

“It might but the texture shouldn't trigger my stomach.”

“Sold,” Bruce tossed him an orange and settled in across from him after grabbing a pot just in case of emergency.

Michael was being careful with his deal, sipping at it slowly as the rest chattered and Bruce kept close tabs on him, he didn't show any instant signs of being ill but they were still being careful. “I don't think it's a good idea to finish this.”

“Oh, nausea kicking in?”

“No, I think orange was a bad idea it's making me thirsty.”

Sam had automatically grabbed a fresh bottle of water while the others just sat up, on alert while they watched, “Well juice does trigger thirst, you didn't know that? It's one of the quickest way to help get someone drinking.”

“Sam, that's not the type of thirst he's talking about,” Bruce's voice seemed to be enough of a warning before Sam suddenly turned eyes toward the young man and stepping back, suddenly on guard.

“Oh, okay, um, what's sop here?”

“He's not in a frenzy so nothing should go wrong but it's still just one of those things, keep your eyes peeled.”

“I'm fine, just a little thirsty, don't worry about it.”

Bruce blinked before suddenly walking out of the room, Sam looked like he wanted to call after him but Peter just shook his head, “He does that, a lot lately, he probably just thought of something helpful.”

“He's probably getting my medicine.”

“Medicine, what?”

“Thirst suppressor I guess you'd call it. It helps Morbie between, um, drinks?”

Bruce got back before Michael could bring himself to take another sip of his drink, “I know you have a lot of biological hang ups on flavor and texture right now but, mind trying this?”

Michael's eyes zeroed in on the vial of red tipped into his glass, making the slight tint turn more pink than orange. “Steve?”

“Huh, so you can tell by smell...”

“Yeah, I can.”

“Preliminary observations?”

“Thirst, and definitely better smelling than it was.”

“Feel nauseated by it?”

“Not really? Just, feels off I guess but not nauseated.”

“Alright, have a sip.”

“ I don't know if I can, it smells, diluted in a bad way. Like, like transfusion blood. Like it's unable to clot but should be.”

“If you don't drink it quick clotting might be the least of your worries because it will start separating.”

Michael sighed and picked up the glass to take a sip, scrunching up his nose and trying to take notes on what he'd just drank. “Is that a 'bathroom' face or 'wtf' face?”

He shook his head, “I'm not sure about the bathroom part but definitely wtf. It's like, weak copper orange taste.”

“And that's bad,” Bruce asked as he nudged the pot closer.

“Um, um, more like useless in nutrition. I've uh I've had hemophiliac blood before and it was better than this but still, it wasn't enough nutrition to keep me from feeding again, like within the hour.”

“Right now we're more worried about just getting you able to stomach normal foods, we'll work on adjusting nutrition afterward.” Bruce patted his shoulder as he nudged the glass toward him, “Don't make yourself sick with it but if you can, drink some more, we need more than a sip to judge proper reactions.”

Michael was sipping at his drink, finally he was getting a little sick of Sam's stone cold expression, “Seriously dude, ease up, I know this has to squeak you out, act like a normal human being.”

Sam actually laughed, “I'm standing next to a brilliant scientist that turns into the jolly green giant's angry cousin when he stubs his toe and Spider-man is currently perched on the wall, what about any of this is 'normal'?”

Peter blinked in mid bite of his toast and looked at Bruce who was actually trying to not laugh, “Hey, I take offense to that! I'm on the cabinet not the wall!”

“That makes it worse, dude your feet are practically on the counter get down from there!”

Michael couldn't help it, he started laughing, suddenly coughing and rushing for the sink to get napkins, “Goddamnit, it went up my nose!”

Tony was confused at the uproar of laughter when he entered the kitchen. “What'd I miss?”

The others started to laugh so hard Bruce was starting to look a shade green before they all started to calm down.

-

Michael took one look at the 'attempt' Tony wanted him to try and just shut his mouth and walked back out the door, “Nope.”

Peter was confused when he suddenly flopped down beside him, “Did it go well?”

“Wouldn't know, there is no way I'm even looking at that again.”

He blinked at him, “What was he trying? Something weird like blood milk?”

“Worse, ice cream.”

Peter proceeded to laugh himself off the couch.

“I can't even convey the amount of 'nope' right now Stark, not even in Moles...”

Tony blinked at his second attempt to get the kid to try his creation, “Wow that's a lot of nope.”

“Infinite amount of nope, just no way in hell. I mean, how even, ya know what don't answer that I don't even want to know.”

Michael knew exactly why he'd brought it up that night of all nights. Movie night, fucking team building bullshit. Why'd he have to be involved again? He wasn't part of the team. “Just give it a try?”

“Do you even realize what happens to blood when you freeze it? The amount of chemicals involved to properly preserve it for the freezing process?”

Steve actually groaned and covered his eyes, “Do I even want to know?”

“No,” Michael growled while Tony was chipper with a 'yes'. “Seriously Stark, some thing's are NOT supposed to be made into ice cream.”

Steve's confused look was honestly worthy of a meme, it actually made Michael smirk, “Ice cream?”

“Yes, Tony seemed to think it a good idea to make me ice cream...”

The mortification set in and Steve just gaped at Tony's proud look, “Why even would you ruin ice cream like that?”

“Hey, it's a step in the process!”

“But blood ice cream? Seriously?”

Michael sighed at the argument that had started, “Alright, Stark, will you just, destroy that abomination if I promise to try Normal ice cream?”

“You can't even stomach Normal milk how is Normal ice cream going to be different?”

“How is blood ice cream going to be different? Other than liable to make me throw up just thinking about it?”

“Um because you can seem to stomach blood?”

Michael sighed and rubbed his eyes, “Normal milk is a texture thing more than anything really and blood? That is just, it's not right cold let alone frozen, and it doesn't even freeze correctly or melt the way you'd think it would.”

“Okay, can we end this conversation please? I still want to be able to eat popcorn during this movie and I already feel sick listening to this.”

“Stark started it and I'm actually being nice here...”

“One bite,” Tony offered and Michael groaned.

“Have a bucket ready.”

Why did he agree to this? How did this become his life? Michael swallowed hard at the little dish sitting in front of him. “You did get the bucket right?”

“I'm still saying you won't need it,” Tony seemed so fucking certain this monstrosity was a success.

Thank god for Peter. The moment Michael shifted the scoop from the spoon onto his tongue he felt his stomach try to roll. He didn't dare try to swallow the bite, it would throw off the data, and tried to shift his tongue to help it start melting. His stomach rolled again, this time full blown nausea rearing it's ugly head when the flavor truly hit his taste buds but once it started to truly melt he clamped a hand over his mouth and shook his head before bolting for the bucket that magically seemed to materialize next to him. He couldn't stop the dry heaving for a solid five minutes. “Okay what went wrong?”

“What went wrong?” Michael parroted after his stomach finally started to settle down, “Seriously? That's all you have to ask? Why don't you try it and tell me what it tastes like?”

Tony sighed and rolled his eyes before snagging the spoon, Michael honestly couldn't be bothered trying to stop him from snagging a bite. It didn't take a solid 30 seconds before Tony was spitting into the bucket and trying not to gag, “Oh god that's like trying to suck on a blood clot.”

“Exactly! It's like feeding off a corpse... How did you think that was a good idea?!”

“I was trying to go for a hybrid food alright? I just chose the wrong medium.”

“Understatement of the year there Stark.”

“Fine, test failed, we'll have to work on what can and can't be mixed together.”

“Just think for a bit before you have me try anything like that, if it's texture like clotting blood just check no in that box would you?”

“Okay, fine I get it. Wait, is that what's wrong with milk? It's off in a way bad blood would be?”

“It's not thick enough to be blood-like and it's too heavy to be water. It's like, it's really weird but honestly I never really drank a lot of plain milk when I was normal so it might just be preexisting.”

“Alright, juice, what about juice?”

“I never cared for juice really but I didn't have a problem with those juice drinks like capri suns?”

“So diluted was the way to go there, okay. Any 'no's in that department?”

“Does strawberry kiwi count?”

“Yeah it counts,” Tony sighed and started going through a list, probably having Jarvis take notes while Michael just responded with old data, hoping it was at least a little helpful.

-

“Okay, update, chemically sensitive, texture sensitive, we have a lot we can try but we're going to have to watch the chemical composition of things. Um, hmm,” Bruce was checking over the list, trying to get a meal plan together of at least what they can try. “Would oatmeal set off your stomach?”

Michael winced, “Probably.”

“Clots?”

“Yeah...”

“Alright, um, have you ever tried crème of wheat?”

Michael tried to think of a time before shaking his head. “I don't think I have, what is it?”

“It's grain based, it's similar to a gritty oatmeal but I don't think it'd be close enough to trigger your texture issue.”

“Alright, but it's solid food?”

“Semi-solid, the grains are solid but they're ground down to a gritty consistency. You shouldn't have issues provided we keep the test to a minimum and you don't over eat or have a problem with what it's mixed with. Though usually it's milk.”

“Any chance we can switch that out in case?”

“We could but I don't think the consistency will be what I know it to be.”

Michael shrugged, “Alright what's one more upset stomach?”

“We do have to try to let your esophagus recover between testing and we have to watch your caloric loss too, so we do need to be careful about triggering vomiting...”

“At this point, it doesn't seem to bother my thirst so I don't care, all the calories I get I absorb quickly and far outside the time we do any food testing so it doesn't matter the only problems would be acid burns but my stomach doesn't even produce the proper amount of acid anymore anyway.”

“We have something we're working on, I don't think Tony wants to tell you it's near field testing phase.”

“Hard to test anything without an actual case group...”

“Don't remind me, I just, wanted to let you know. It looks promising.”

“How promising?”

“At the moment? It's a temporary suppressor, unlike the one you're currently on for you thirst this one physically suppresses the mutation, but, without it in an active body being countered we can't judge timeline or effectiveness.”

“Yeah, well, how long until I get to try it?”

“Hopefully? A week, though if Tony can clear the results on a fresh sample we might be able to try it sooner.”

“Blood test or tissue?”

“Both would be best.”

“Sign me up.”

“We need to test your system's ability to accept some medications before we get to true solid foods though. You haven't really been using a good 80% of your digestive system and that's going to be a problem...”

Michael groaned, “Right, I forgot about that. I would honestly be surprised if it wasn't atrophied at this point it's been years since I've been able to eat anything.”

“Yeah, so we're going to have to figure out a way to either trigger it to function again and get it back up to par.”

“Well, I'm no doctor but I don't see that being fun at all.”

“What's the chances of you being able to swallow a pill and keep it down?”

“A pill?”

“Camera, least annoying way to check your system to see if it's functioning properly.”

“How large of a pill,” Michael asked, his understanding of cameras was a bit outdated.

“Not large, it would be one of the ones Tony designed, Jarvis would be able to gather live data as you processed it, we'd be able to know as soon as he received the data if we're even able to continue to solids at all.”

“Let me guess, there'd be a range on transmission.”

“Stay within the Tower and Jarvis will be able to get the information we need, not really like you go anywhere,” Bruce looked saddened by that.

“True,” Michael shrugged at the look, “Oh well. Least I'm comfortable.”

“A silk cage is still a cage.”

“Beats the hell out of mindlessly feeding off innocent people.”

Bruce chuckled and shook his head, “Still, this never should have happened to you.”

“Well, what can I say? Life's a bitch.”

-

Bruce handed him something a few days later, “You still haven't passed the camera, it can't seem to get past your stomach, we need to get it moving or else your stomach acid will be able to eventually damage it and we'll go through it all again.”

“So I need to get enough of something on my stomach to get it moving again, problem is other than blood I haven't been able to get more than a cup's worth of anything down...”

“I know that's why I need you to try this. It has fiber in it, hopefully it can jump start your system.”

“Is it stuck on something?”

Bruce shook his head, “If you want the footage I can show you but honestly,” Michael shook his head, “I figured as much. You don't have enough acid to actually move it and normal movements isn't enough to even have the acid wash it down so, take a sip of this and see if it will upset you if it doesn't I need you to drink as much as you're comfortable with.”

“Fiber, let me guess milk?”

“Sort of.”

“Sort of?”

“Just try it.”

Michael tried it, surprised at the soft taste of vanilla and a little confused at the texture. Surprisingly enough, it went down smooth and didn't threaten to come back up. “What's in this?”

“Some thickeners a little vanilla and fiber. Think you can drink more?”

“Is it really safe for me to have this much fiber?”

“Honestly? Probably not but I can get you some more without the fiber if you're comfortable drinking more.”

“Well it's settling okay, I'm just worried if it's milk it might be too heavy for me to drink a lot.”

“There is some milk in it but it's cut with a substitute since I know you don't like the texture. What do you think of it?”

“It's, like cooling blood. But it's not making me sick.” Michael drank about half the glass before Bruce pulled it away and swapped it for a different, similar glass.

“If you're going to be able to keep drinking, we don't need that much fiber.”

Michael noticed Bruce taking down a note before finishing his glass. “How much would you suggest?”

“Just don't make yourself sick. And no strenuous activity, you're going to take longer to process that than normal.”

“Strenuous activities? What am I going to do? Get into a card game with Cap?”

Bruce chuckled, “I was thinking more a Mario Cart fight with Spider-man but that too.”

Michael may have gone against doctor's orders, he'd been in a virtual fight with Peter when his stomach cramped up. “Hey, you okay?”

He had enough mind to grumble, “Jarvis? Any chance that camera relocated?”

“It did in fact 'relocate' several hours ago, I do believe it's at the end of its journey.”

Michael groaned at another bad cramp, “Recovery?”

“Not required sir.”

“Thanks for the info,” Michael rushed for the bathroom. “Bathroom break.”

-

Bruce was holding out what suspiciously looked like a smoothie, Michael couldn't help the reaction while Bruce chuckled, “Tony had nothing to do with this.”

Michael sniffed at it and blinked at the blueberry vanilla scent to it, “You sure about that?”

“Is it green?”

“No.”

“Then, yes I'm sure.”

Michael chuckled as he sniffed the drink again, “Fiber?”

“Probiotics. I take it yogurt is a no on the texture list.”

Michael thought about it then shuddered and shook his head, “Never really was a yogurt fan even when I was normal.”

“Me either,” Bruce smirked. “Let me know what you think. I was worried about using whole blueberries but I made sure it's well blended.”

Michael sipped and made an unsure face as he let it settle, “Is this your way of saying you found good things from that camera or bad?”

“Well your, everything is clear if that makes you feel better,” Michael rolled his eyes and looked unconvinced. “It's a start, once we get your body processing normal foods, something with a bit more substance than just liquids it would be a good idea to do another check.”

“Make sure everything is functioning normally. Well here's something I don't know if Jarvis reported back but I had horrible cramps when it was time to pass that damn camera. It, felt sharp...”

Bruce gave a concerned look and winced, “The stomach acid must have done some damage to the casing it was supposed to be smooth either that or it was sensation on an area not use to sensation.”

“I figured as much it was still something to note for future reference.”

-

Michael sat looking at the bowl of fruit at the center of the table, scratching his wrist where the test tissue had been taken. They'd finally gotten a stable testing batch for his serum. He licked his lips as he just stared, “Morning Mike.”

“Michael,” he automatically corrected Sam as he watched the paratrooper grab an apple. “I miss apples.”

Sam stopped and offered the apple before he could take a bite, “Want to try it?”

“Bruce says no high sugar foods, I need things with calories. We're trying to ween my body off blood only calories.”

“Really?” Michael caught the apple tossed to him, “What's a bite going to do?”

“Leave me heaving for 5-10 minutes... I can't risk making myself sick, they're testing a new blood substitute. They need to make sure it won't make me sick. I'm waiting out the timer then Bruce is making me something we've verified won't effect my stomach.”

Sam settled on the chair across from him when Michael set the apple in front of him, “You're just a kid...”

“I'm 17, not exactly a kid.”

“How long have you been like this?”

Michael sighed as he wave a hand, dismissing the question, “I was a kid when this happened to me.”

“Michael, you wanted me to inform you when the timer ran out.”

“Thanks Jarvis,” Michael mumbled as he stared at the apple before reaching out and snatching it up, looking over the surface. “Jarvis, I need you to run a scenario for me real quick.”

“What scenario would you like me to run?”

“The likelihood of an Incident if I mess up Dr. Banner's test?”

“I'm sorry, I'm under instruction to inform anyone that request any scenario involving an Incident as a 100% negative outcome.”

Michael chuckled, “Bruce?”

“Ms. Potts actually.”

Michael laughed, “Why haven't I met this genius yet?”

“Ms. Potts is busy running SI as I am informed to remind anyone in the Tower when asked about her.”

Michael smirked, “Any chance you have any instruction against a social interaction such as messages?”

“There are a few protocols for the type of social messages, yes, but keep in mind most of those are intended for Sir.”

Michael full on laughed, “Could you send a message to her from me, let her know that I am a fan of her custom protocols and would like to meet her some day when she's visiting the tower? Oh, um could you warn her about my situation, I wouldn't want to startle her.”

“I'll set it to a priority to insure it doesn't get lost by spam protocol.”

“Thank you Jarvis.” Michael smiled at the apple and set it back in front of Sam before snagging an orange and heading for the lab.

-

Michael was floating above the two scientist, watching them bustle about while waiting for the test to complete, “Any chance I can try something yet?”

“No,” chimed in the two both looked up at him and blinked, “We need to schedule that FMRI.”

“You know that's really creeper when you two talk at the same time.”

“And it's really creepy that you're just floating above us, you get use to it,” Tony snarked then jumped over to check a screen when a timer sounded. “Damnit,” he pushed the results and Bruce grunted as he checked the results. “Failure.”

“It's a start, but yeah.”

Michael blinked at the churning in his stomach, “Guys, I'm Actually hungry how the hell is that a failure?”

“We're not talking about the blood substitute we're talking about the cure.”

Bruce held up a glass, “It's orange, like you asked.”

Michael snatched up the drink and curled so he didn't risk dropping the glass or spilling it. “Thanks doc, but, okay so, not a total failure right? You were seeing signs of it working.”

“Yes but only in extremely short stents. It's not a cure, at most it's a suppressant and it's not even a guarantee to work at all inside the actual host.”

Michael sipped at his drink and hummed, “I like this better.”

Bruce instantly jotted something down and Michael had to smile, “Next idea?”

“I'm honestly running out of ideas here.”

“How is it not working? Is the body just fighting it off or is it not bonding correctly?”

“Worse, it's destroying host cells, at least the ones not bonding.”

“Um, what's the problem? Didn't you theorize that the reason you can't cure the mutation is because I need it in order to keep surviving? What cells was it destroying?”

“The mutated ones.”

“We would be forced to cure you for this to not kill you.”

Michael sighed and set his drink down to cross his legs, “Alright so complete scrap?”

“Unless we can find a way to guarantee it bonds with all mutated cells, yes.”

“Could you re-purpose it? Make it destroy the damaged normal cells? Might not be a cure for the mutation but for the initial condition?”

“Need an untampered sample first.”

“Even then it's not a guarantee to work right. If your body couldn't recover the destroyed cells quick enough it's still the same outcome as it was before the mutation.”

Michael picked up his drink again and sipped at it, “Without an untampered sample, curing me is impossible no matter what, isn't it?”

“Without knowing how to treat the preexisting condition it's fatal if we cure you...”

Michael suddenly sank to the floor, “Any chance in hell at a controlled mutation?”

“No chance, you're a miracle by scientific standing. You shouldn't even be alive right now. Everything about you shouldn't exist but by some luck of the draw here you are.”

Michael stood up, “Any chance in hell you can isolate the cells actually causing the damage and destroying them? The ones damaging other cells.”

“We still can't do that without curing you.”

“That's not what I'm asking. Forget the cure. Can you isolate what's causing me to keep dying now? I mean, that's what the whole mutation is right? It's a parasitic means of acquiring what my body can't keep up producing. Can you figure out what cells are causing that need and destroy them?”

“You would still need blood if we can't find out why you're still producing those cells.”

“Start at the bottom and work your way up. What's the worst that could happen?”

Bruce sighed and rubbed his eyes, “We could destroy your liver's ability to produce blood cells... and that's the best case scenario worse? Completely immuno compromised.”

“Honestly, I'm on borrowed time as it is.”

Bruce sighed as he rubbed his eyes before cleaning his glasses, a habit Michael had learned was one of the last stages of a breakthrough. “We need to run some more tests. We need to go through some more medical history. There has to be something your father missed or didn't think of.”

Michael sighed, “At this point about the only thing that hasn't been done is an autoimmune overhaul...”

Bruce blinked, “You've been on immune suppressants.”

“Yeah for the transplants, after all this, I didn't need them anymore.”

Tony was squinting at Bruce, as if trying to read his mind. “What are you up to Banner?”

“Organ transplants right? You were anemic, they went for organ transplant due to bad function right?”

“Yeah.”

“Did they ever do marrow tests?”

Michael blinked before covering his eyes, “It was on the list. Dad never got to it because I, I, oh my god, I got too sick, it got so bad I wouldn't hold out much longer. That's when he- he did this.”

“They never thought to test your marrow?”

“I was 10 when this all started! I was only 13 when it went from minor annoyance anemia to full blown life threatening. They didn't have time. They were sure it was my liver, that gone didn't fix it, panaceas gone didn't fix it I was in and out of surgery so often I'm surprised I didn't flat line from blood loss during surgery! And when I wasn't I was in recovery where they couldn't put an immune-compromised child through tests like that.”

Bruce winced in sympathy, “Does any pain medications work on you now?”

Michael shrugged, “I don't know if anything does or doesn't.”

“Bruce, if it's a marrow problem?”

“We'd have to find a match...”

“What's the odds of that, without the mutation then throw those numbers out the window and assume they're microscopic.”

“If we cure the mutation first there's a higher chance of a match but then if anything goes wrong it's fatal.”

“Bruce if we could get him a match, would that clear up the damaged cells?”

“In this case I honestly wouldn't know without a marrow test.”

Michael sighed and held up his hands, “So, when are we doing this test?”

-

Peter snuck into the lab while Michael was sleeping, “Hey, Morbie told me what went down. How'd the test go?”

“He literally has No bone marrow. His bones are fucking hollow, how the hell is this kid alive?!”

Bruce rolled his eyes at Tony's exaggeration, “We got enough marrow to get a panel but other than that he's right, his bones are hollow. I've never seen anything like it.”

Peter blinked and jumped up onto a nearby chair, “Okay, and this means?”

“No marrow no proper blood production. No wonder the kid was dying!”

“We don't know if the mutation cause a preexisting condition to be worse or not Tony we can't assume that.”

“This is me assuming, seriously, how the fuck did they miss this?!”

“Okay so, um bone marrow is a key point in blood production right? So, anything we can do about that?”

“Transplant either marrow or stem cell but I have no idea what it would do with this kind of loss.”

“I'm thinking Jack and shit and Jack just left town.”

Peter put his palms against his eyes, “Okay, okay, is there any chance at a synthetic replacement? I mean DNA means the chance of rejection right? And a synthetic replacement can be tweaked so if you can revert the mutation you can change it to keep up with the non mutated genes right?”

“Bone marrow is far worse than just blood cells, it creates Haematopoiesis among so much more.”

“Could it be something to help his body accelerate production from the organs and bypass the marrow?”

“I, I honestly don't know.”

“Any chance at testing the possibility?”

“Don't really have a choice, do we?”

Tony sighed, “We'll run both possibilities while we work on getting the synthetic marrow within the realm of possibility.”

“Is it possible to get an eta?”

Both looked over at Peter, “No idea.”

Peter sighed as he nodded and left the two to their work.

-

Peter was eating an apple while he was watching Bruce go over the data, it had gotten to the point the scientist had actually jumped when he rested a hand on the man's shoulder. “Let's take a break.”

“Honestly? At this point a break won't help, a break through might though.”

“Dr. Banner, I hate to say it but you're looking a little green, I think it's time for a break.”

Bruce blinked, startled, before nodding and walking away from the screens, smiling softly at the soda Peter held out to him. “Thanks, nice catch by the way.”

Peter shrugged, “Sometimes you're just too into the equation to realize it's making you mad.”

“And a rage monster in the lab wouldn't help the progress all that much I'm sure.”

Peter nodded and frowned, “Why do I have a feeling this equation might not have an answer?”

“So far, it doesn't. A cure we could do but the problem is that a cure would kill him. The mutation is the only thing keeping him alive now. His body can't survive without it. And controlling the mutation? Well that's an issue because a human isn't designed to survive the way he has been. It's, it's getting worse trying to keep him alive. Without curing the initial condition we can't do anything but slow the progression.”

“Chasing our tails,” Peter mumbled. “Okay, so, any ideas towards a better thirst suppressant? He's been getting that look. He hasn't mentioned it but I see the way he's been watching people lately.”

“He's been able to keep more down lately, honestly? I'm hoping that's just redirected hunger since he's still getting use to being actually hungry instead of just thirsty.”

Peter kicked, “What do we do if we lose him again? He's afraid of what happens if he goes feral again.”

“You were able to drag him out of it before. He's still him after all.”

“Yeah but, you understand his worry.”

“Yeah, I do.” Bruce rubbed at his eyes, “I'm wondering if we need an outside opinion on this... But Tony is refusing to acknowledge it.”

“Like who?”

“I dropped a line to Dr. Strange.”

Peter blinked, “Isn't he the leading mind in Neurosurgery?”

“Yeah, or he was, now he's, he's had a bit of a career change.”

“So, when's he coming in?”

“I don't know, I haven't gotten a response yet.”

Peter sighed as he blinked at the beeping screen, “Data done compiling?”

“Yeah,” Bruce set his glasses back on his nose before going over to check on it.

Michael walked into the lab, not expecting the sudden roar, “Whoa, what the fuck?”

“Um little bit of a situation, just, don't be hostile.”

“As long as no one's bleeding, I don't see that being the problem.”

Michael stepped back as the green giant stepped towards him, Peter was quick to jump between them, “Yo, big guy, easy this is Michael he's a friend.”

Peter squeaked and flailed when one big green hand picked him up and set him out of the way. “Spider,” was grunted out before Peter was set back on his feet and nudged away.

“Um, hi, I'm Michael.” He couldn't stop from floating backward when the green hand swung towards him, “Hey easy, didn't anyone tell you it's impolite to grab people without asking?”

Hulk grunted at him before holding out a large hand again. “Hulk.”

“Well, nice to meet you Hulk. Um, I was supposed to see Dr. Banner, what happened?”

Hulk glared at a screen nearby while Peter jumped over to perch on the wall, “Bad day.”

“Oh, okay, um. Any more intel than that?”

“I haven't gotten to read it yet,” Peter said as he stayed put, watching Hulk eyeing Michael and frowning at him.

“Puny Banner not fix.”

“Well, he's trying, he's helping even if he can't fix it. I mean, I ate oatmeal the other day,” Michael smiled, “It's something.”

Hulk was smarter than most would give him credit for, “Got sick.”

Michael sighed, “Well, I am sick, so...” he shrugged.

Michael flailed when a green arm suddenly circled him and drug him into a large green chest, “Hulk sorry.”

“I know, it's okay.”

Michael scrambled back when Hulk started shrinking down, “Um, okay, that's a new one on me.”

“Yeah, that happens. Congrats on the first Hulk sighting,” Peter was already grabbing a blanket to drape over the groggy scientist's shoulders. “Welcome back Dr. Banner.”

“What happened?”

“Well, you apparently got some bad news at a bad time and well, the big guy like's Michael so that's a plus?”

Bruce blinked at them before sighing, “Dr. Strange refused the consultation.”

Peter sighed, “Well, that would do it...”

“Yeah.”

“Okay so, plan B?”

“That was plan B.”

“Well plan C then?”

“Plan C we can't even contact. Thor would have to come to Earth to even have a plan C.”

Michael smirked, “Could go with plan D?” Peter tilted his head at him before laughing. “What? It's worked before.”

“Oh, yeah, definitely going with plan D.”

“And that would be?”

“It's called plan D as in be a dick.”

“Michael got the lunch menu changed in middle school using that because of his condition. He couldn't have low Iron foods so every one of us bugged the hell outa the administrator until they put something that we could have that had a high Iron content. Took nearly a month but it worked.”

Bruce was chuckling, “Alright, so, plan D?”

Michael was already at a terminal and typing away, Peter grabbed another one while Bruce sat back and watched.

-

Michael had been eyeing Peter's slice of pepperoni pizza and frowning at his own slice, “Hey, we have to start small.”

“This is not pizza this is bread...”

“You have to stomach bread before we can get to pizza dude, baby steps. Besides we both know a month ago you wouldn't even be able to stomach the smell of this.”

Michael sighed, “You're not wrong. Okay so bread, yeah sure.”

“Just don't be afraid to have a drink with it, it's really dry without sauce.”

“Maybe with sauce? And some cheese it might be considered a pizza,” Michael got a frown, “Fine fine I'm eating this poor excuse for 'pizza'.” He glared at the abomination that was a slice of cooked dough and picked it up. “This breaks the cardinal rules of New Yorkers, seriously I expect Cap to walk through that door and take my citizenship away.”

“Shut up and try it...” Peter shoved a bucket at him with a foot.

“Oh you're so optimistic.”

“Sirs, I'm sorry to interrupt but it seems Michael has a visitor down in Dr. Banner's lab.”

Michael jumped up so fast he forgot gravity was a thing, “Saved by the Jarvis.”

“Hey,” Peter yelled as Michael bolted for the door.

Michael stepped into the lab and blinked at the red caped wearing individual, “Oh god, I'm not interested in D&D, Parker tried to get me into that a long time again and it just wasn't my thing.”

Bruce laughed while the visitor blinked at him, “Michael, this is Dr. Stephen Strange. Stephen this is Michael.”

Michael automatically reached out for a handshake, and shrugged when the doctor turned over his hand to look it over, “Yeah, that's part of the condition.”

“You have Arachnodactyly.”

“Actually I have a genetic mutation. I'm crossed with vampire bat unfortunately. Dr. Banner has been helping me but we can't seem to stabilize it and if we can't, well let's just say it's not a good thing.”

“Vampire bat? How on earth did that happen?”

“Did you even read my chart?”

“Actually, I honestly came here to shut up the string of messages I've been getting for weeks about your case.”

Michael looked so proud at Bruce's shy smirk, “Well, now that you're here, we were hoping you might have another way to go about helping me.”

-

Peter walked into the lab and blinked, “Morbie?”

Blue eyes blinked over at him and a grin broke out, “Hey Web head, don't get too excited it's just a glamour. The doc hooked me up with it while he's checking some things. He warned me it would kinda glitch out sometimes though.”

“You look, normal, wait a glamour? Like magic?”

“Yeah, Dr. Strange is a sorcerer.”

Peter was blinking behind his mask, “Wow, okay so, like magic and glamours that's a bit new on me.”

“You've met Thor haven't you?”

“No I've seen him and heard about him but never one on one.”

“Well, it seems Dr. Strange is able to communicate with them on Asgard and they're working on figuring out if they can help me. He offered a glamour to help out with the whole appearance thing in case I wanted to go out, not that that's really an option...”

“You know you're not a prisoner, right?”

Michael shrugged, “I go out, I get thirsty, I lose my head and then you all hunt me down. I might not be a prisoner but it's safer here than out there.”

Peter frowned, “When was the last time you'd had a drink?”

“Yesterday, why?”

Peter tipped his head up at Bruce who smirked and took off his glasses, “What? I don't see anything.”

He grinned and looked toward the ceiling, “Jarvis, is that rule about Michael leaving the premises still standing?”

“I do believe that Sir's instruction was for him to be alerted if Michael did leave the premises due to his instability and appearance. Given the current predicament I see no need to give an immediate alert. Though, he does have a fail safe in place. I do believe you have 30 minutes until I would be required to inform Sir of the situation.”

“Wanna get some Panera? You've been doing good with cream based soups after all.”

Michael bit at his lip, “You're a bit over dressed for Panera.”

“I'll change,” Peter chirped as he rushed off to get his civilian clothes.

Bruce was not happy when they got back, Iron Man stomping behind them, “I told you I knew where they were.”

Peter shuffled away, “Um mom and dad are fighting,” Michael was quick to run after him as they left them alone.

“He can't be out there without some sort of control Bruce,” Tony dropped down out of the suit and sent it back to storage.

“And where did you pick them up?”

“Exactly where you said they were...”

“Alright, let's see if I can put this in a way you'd wrap your mind around. Ever seen someone with a dog on one of those leashes just long enough that it's not choking the animal? Well, let's just say you have a few things that can happen with those. One, the animal keeps pulling so hard it suffocates; two, the animal snaps the lead; three the animal finally submits and refuses to walk farther from its master than a few feet. And those are the nice outcomes. Do you really want to know what the fourth one is?”

“Why do I know I don't want to know?”

“Because you don't,” Bruce sighed as he rubbed his eyes. “So, any chance you have any info on how much he ate?”

Tony's head dropped, “No, they weren't exactly chatty when I showed up.”

“And you probably blew both their covers.”

Tony took a deep breath, “I need a drink.”

“This time around I agree with you there.”

-

Michael's nose turned up at the scent when he entered the common room, “What's that smell?”

“Incense, don't tell me you're allergic,” Clint called from above, making the young man sigh.

“No it's just really strong.”

“Had to clear the place out.”

“Do I wanna know?”

“Well unless you prefer the smell of smoke to Sage I don't wanna hear complaints, it was all I had.”

“Rough day?”

“Nah normal Tuesday.”

Michael laughed then jumped and blinked at the sudden gasp, he blinked at the strawberry blonde woman standing in the doorway blinking at him. “Oh I'm sorry, I thought I saw... Anyway, Jarvis left me a message saying I had an admirer here at the Tower.”

It took him a few minutes before he blinked and chuckled, “You must be Ms. Potts.”

“That'd be me.”

“I'm Michael,” he frowned when he passed the incense burner and watched her eyes widen, “Um, it's a Glamour, sorry, I didn't mean to startle you.”

“Glamour, that's new.”

“Yes well, they're trying to fix it so I can be normal again so... It's something. Anyway, I hope I didn't take you away from anything, I had Jarvis send you that message because I really wanted to meet the brains of the operation and ask how the hell you put up with Stark?”

Michael smiled at the laugh, “Years of practice. And the inability to not put up with his shit.”

“Well I know Bruce has the second part of that down...”

“Oh Bruce has years of practice just not with Tony in particular. Speaking of I need him to check some things I found. It's the reason I finally made it here.”

“Probably in the lab or dragging Tony away from something dangerous to make sure he doesn't blow something up.”

“Oh, don't let Bruce fool you, he's just as bad. Actually I haven't had near enough accident reports lately. Hm, I might need to keep you around.”

“Well, that could be because blood is not a good thing to have around me.” Michael shrugged, “Glamour remember? This isn't what I normally look like and trust me when I say I look the part of a bloodthirsty monster.”

“And Hulk looks like a giant green monster, but honestly he's a teddy bear. He just forgets everyone else is breakable because he well isn't, doesn't make him a monster.”

-

Michael was really wishing he could eat popcorn because damn this needed it. He smirked when Peter, Spider-man, crawled across the ceiling to settle next to him and whisper, “Did I miss the good part?”

Michael smirked and shook his head, of course Parker had brought popcorn... that he couldn't eat. “Nope, just getting good.” He blinked at the pouch handed to him and smirked as he nicked the corner with a sharp fang to sip at the capre sun. Hey, Parker was a good friend after all.

They both froze when the arguing parties looked up at them, “He's on the ceiling. Of course he's on the ceiling...”

“Well, he did tell you he was essentially a vampire, didn't he?”

“Have they been arguing about you the whole time?” Peter whispered over at him as the argument started again.

“Sort of, apparently Tony looking into Dad's records led to my disappearance when he died. Since I was still a minor that's a bit of a problem...”

“Oh, crap.”

“Yeah, seems some legal stuff turned up from the search so now the only option is for me to show back up. But, no guardian means, well, this ends up being a lot more difficult than it was when I was just missing and assumed dead.”

“Wait are you verified alive?”

“Tony may have dropped my name somewhere because Ms. Potts found out about it. Or I messed up dropping my actual name on the message I sent her.”

The argument stalled again, Ms. Potts sighed and waved a hand, “Michael, could you come down from there?”

He gulped and dropped down, dropping the empty bag in a nearby trashcan before shuffling over. “Did I mess this up?”

“No, your name is only mentioned in a message in my secured private messages that goes directly through Jarvis. No outside source has access to it and Jarvis took incentive and thought ahead, unlike some people,” Tony's head dropped, “You're a ghost at the moment but with Tony dredging up your past it might be more difficult to keep you under wraps.”

“Okay, so, do we have a game plan here? Because lately, Hail Marys haven't really been working out for me.”

“We wait it out, when we get you all better we can get you back on the grid.”

Michael rubbed his eyes and laughed, Peter felt a tingle up his spine at the dark tone, “'When', right 'when', everything has pointed to me dying 'when' we cure me.”

“Hey, what about if he was legal?” Everyone blinked when Peter dropped down, “I mean Michael's 17, we can wait it out, can't we? He hits 18 legally no guardian needed. We have a lot of explaining but hey, they can't legally prosecute someone for just disappearing, right?”

“We'd have to explain what happened to dad.”

“We can, figure it out, I mean. You said it yourself, you were sick and you weren't in your right mind.”

Michael felt his eyes start to water and he blinked went to the desk to find something to keep it from spilling over, he hid the red tinged tissue, “I'd still, we'd have to prove everything. And you know the courts don't take kindly to mutants.”

Ms. Potts sighed and rubbed her eyes, “For now, we're keeping this quiet, but no more digging.” Tony stepped back at the finger digging into his chest before she turned on her heels, “At least not until I figure something out.”

“Ms. Potts,” she stopped and blinked at Michael's chuckle, “I'm happy to have finally met the brains of this operation.”

She laughed, “Thank you and please, call me Pepper.”

-

Michael was blinking, “I'm sorry, but I don't need Spidey's senses to tell you this is all kinds of bad ideas here.”

“Um, yeah guys, remind me again why this is a good idea?”

“If it's just a strength test thing we can do that in the lab.”

“Michael, calm down, this is a test of stamina and a check of whether your activity causes your need for blood to increase.”

“Well, let's see, injury does cause me to go into a bloodthirsty frenzy, I mean that's how me and Spidey met up soooo, your point?”

“This is controlled, it's not intended as a full scale fight this is a controlled sparing session.”

“And when I take a swipe at someone and they start bleeding, then it turns into dinner and a show, is that it?”

Peter's laugh was broken by a whine, “Seriously Stark, not one of your better ideas.”

“We have a backup plan here, why do you think we have Cap here?”

Michael rubbed his eyes, “I'm pretty sure Spidey could take Cap on easy soooo, I don't think he will stand a chance if Spidey can't even pin me.”

Peter shrugged at him, “I mean, I might be the best choice here but um, you realize Morbie's never set off my spider sense right?”

Everyone blinked at him, “What?”

Peter flailed and shrugged, “He's my friend okay? I mean, it just, it works different with friends.”

“Well, that seems, a little worrying.”

“Yeah, can't we just do a lab based strength test and forget the sparing?”

“Seconding that,” Michael spoke up as he headed for the door, “Besides, doc said the glamour glitches out when I'm under duress, I don't wanna risk breaking it over testing.”

“Strange is coming in tomorrow anyway, and it's not like we haven't seen it before.”

“Still, I like, at least trying to be normal again.”

Bruce nudged Tony, hard enough for every to notice the engineer to stumbled forward, “Alright, fine, strength testing in the lab.”

“Besides, you wanted me to do an FMRI too didn't you? Two birds one lab visit.”

Tony sighed, “Fine, I'll set up the FMRI just, go have lunch or something, isn't that a thing kids do?”

Michael shook his head, “That's a thing everyone does.”

“Is it? It's new to me.”

“Well those of us that are actually up before noon,” Peter smirked as he trotted after. “Hey Morbie, how about trying pizza again?”

“Um, not a good idea you know how bad it was the last time.”

“No cheese?”

“Yeah, like that is ever going to happen.”

“Lactose intolerance is a thing you know.”

“Okay, fine pizza no cheese, just, don't look at me when we get strange looks.”

“Dude when don't I look at you when we get strange looks?”

Michael rolled his eyes, “Stark we're getting pizza, brb.”

“Wait, what?”

“Leaving the Tower, walking down the street and getting pizza, don't like it just don't bring the suit this time.”

Bruce laughed as he looked at Tony, “Leave them be this time.”

“I wasn't, hey we talked about this and I actually listened this time! They told me where they were going...”

“Jarvis, could you remind him when he freaks out like 10 minutes from now?”

“Of course Dr. Banner.”

Peter was nudging Michael's shoulder, “She likes you,” he smirked at the groan and eye covering the response got.

“It doesn't matter if she likes me or nothing, ain't gonna happen.”

“Oh come on, you always had a crush on some girl back in school, what's to stop you now?'

Michael blinked at him, “Seriously? Do I need to give you an itemized list of why this could not happen?”

Peter frowned at the pizza box, “Yeah, the whole... thing, might not be a good intro huh?”

“I don't even look like myself right now Parker, picking up chicks isn't exactly on my to do list.”

“Yeah I guess it wouldn't be...”

“She was cute though, and didn't take no shit when the cook looked at her like she was stupid when she said no cheese.”

“Yeah, though she did get the reason wrong it was nice of her.”

“Ut oh, clouds are clearing up, think we can make it back to the tower?”

Michael's eyes shot skyward so fast he nearly got whiplash, “Nope, shit, down the alley.”

Peter jumped into the alley with Michael hot on his heels, “Okay backup plan?”

“If we stay in the shadow of the Tower I should be good. Didn't Stark swap out the windows with UV protected ones?”

“Yeah, but I think that was only on the upper floors.”

“It's something.”

“Shoulda brought you an umbrella or something.”

“Oh well.”

“Think we can make it to the next safe spot, before the next patch of sun?”

“I've dealt with worse burns, I just hope the glamour doesn't give out from physical damage.”

“Let's just play this safe and just move when the sun is covered and just move quick and stay to the shadows?”

“Honestly I could probably just beeline for the Tower the next time the sun is covered and make it there before you.”

“If you can keep under the radar, go for it.”

“That's the difficult part.”

-

Michael flew through Tony's private landing pad doors so fast, Jarvis threw the alert up and locked the room down, “Jarvis, it's me, close the blinds, please!”

“Michael, sir are you alright, alerting medical.”

“Thanks J,” Michael curled up, panting for breath as the room went dark, “Get Bruce, please. It hurts.”

“What the hell happened!” Tony shouted the moment he got into the room.

“Stay back, I need, it hurts. Stay away.”

Tony couldn't stop from moving closer, finally stepping back when he saw the condition the poor teen was in, “Oh god, what happened?”

“The glamour doesn't help with the sun, I need blood, it hurts.”

“Bruce is on the way, probably half the building is too. J what the hell caused the lock down?”

“Michael was able to make it through the doors quicker than I could verify identity Sir, lock down commenced the moment he breached. I've alerted Security of the false alarm.”

“Bruce knows of the situation?”

“Yes, Sir, Dr. Banner is already on his way.”

“Tony, you need to leave.”

“Kid, I ain't going anywhere.”

“Then you better have some heavy tranqs because I can feeling it coming over. It's getting hard to think...”

“J, you good for Thunderstruck?”

“I would prefer not to Sir.”

“Me either but the kid needs to be kept here, in case.”

Michael woke up, everything hurt, “What happened?”

“Hey, kid, I'm sorry about that. You, you lost your head a little bit, Jarvis had to put you out for a little while.”

He glanced down at the restraints then at the burns along his arms, “How bad is it?”

“What the fuck were you thinking? You knew the glamour didn't work against the sun and you just, walk out of here at noon?!”

“We went out when it looked like it was going to storm, and we weren't positive the glamour wouldn't work to protect me from the sun. We just, I didn't get to the landing pad before the clouds cleared up all the way.”

“Why were you even shooting for the landing pad anyway?!”

“Because I can fly faster than I can run... I was already halfway to the Tower when the clouds started clearing again and I just, it was safer than trying to find a place to hide.”

“You, do you realize how burned you are?!”

Michael tried to smile, he ended up wincing, “Had worse.”

“Alright, do you realize how much blood you need to fix this then?”

Michael swallowed, wincing at how parched his throat felt, “3... 3 bodies. At least, that's how many I found after I came out of it.”

Tony stepped back, frowning and looking over at Bruce like a lost puppy. “And you've had 'worse' than this?”

Michael twisted his wrist, relieved when the cuffs didn't give, “Yeah, I've had worse.”

Tony threw his hands up and stomped away, “Unbelievable.”

Bruce shook his head and walked over to reach for the cuffs, Michael grabbed his wrist, “No.”

“Okay, I understand, I'm going to raise the back of the bed then.”

Michael nodded and let his head fall as Bruce raised the bed so he was sitting up. “I need fresh blood. How much did you give me while I was out?”

“Enough to keep you healthy and in your right mind.”

“So I can't have any more transfusions...”

“No, you'll have to drink the rest. But there's no way we can get that much blood at once.”

Tony stomped back in, settling his phone in his pocket, “I've alerted the staff that we're having an emergency blood drive. There's 10 people on their way verified. Happy is checking with the rest.”

Michael blinked at him while Bruce smiled. “Really?”

“Look, kid, we take care of our own. And, at least for now, you're part of that. Now, preferences?”

Michael's head thumped against the table, “Tell any AB types to go to the damn Red-Cross instead of here... They're always running low on that.”

Bruce laughed, “If I could donate I would but for now, let's get your something that will help until the reserves get here.”

Michael chuckled, trying to shake off the haziness to his thoughts, “Thanks.”

“Thank us after we get your ass back on the beach, because damn do you need a tan.”

Michael laughed and continued trying to push back the haze when Bruce brought him a vial of red.

-

Dr. Strange was not to happy to see him, “What happened?”

Michael shrugged, “The sun.”

The doctor sighed as he threw down the file he'd brought. “Alright, how quick are you healing?”

“It's about normal. It could usually take a few days for a bad burn, if I've been... hunting. But Tony's staff has been nice enough to supply me with blood so it's healing a little faster than it would. I just, I guess I've just gotten so use to actually eating food that I can't drink as much as I use to.”

He got a soft smirk, “Alright, so, has anything else gone on since I've been here?”

“Um, not really? We were going to set up an FMRI but, this kinda happened during lunch so, we never got around to it.”

“FMRI, why would they need that?”

Michael sighed, “They didn't tell you I can levitate?”

Dr. Strange's brow tipped upward, “No they neglected to mention that...”

Michael just shrugged and lifted upward, “Yeah, it's, weird, huh?”

He was surprised at the chuckle but more so when the doctor floated up to circle around him and observe. “Not as weird as you might think, but it is interesting. How do you?”

“I, uh, can't really explain it? It just, happens.”

“No conscious thought to it then?”

“Well, I mean, I just did it then when I wanted to, but yeah sometimes it's just an automatic response?”

“Do you mean like life threatening response or just, fall response?”

“That's where it get complicated, both and neither can happen. Sometimes I'll say, fall out of bed and I'll hit the floor, other times I'll, uh, fall from something higher and have to remember to fly before I hit the ground.”

“Hmm, any chance those incidence occurred when you were, thirsty?”

Michael tried to think back to the last time he'd fallen a short distance and actually hit the ground, “I uh, I think I was dreaming when I fell out of bed... but I can't remember what I was dreaming of, but the longer fall, I um, can't really remember all that much when I didn't hit the ground. I think I fell into, it's the frenzy after that so it could be? I'm not sure, I really don't want to test that.”

“Frenzy?”

“Bloodthirst, I guess they left that out of the chart. When I get too thirsty, I just, have you ever been so focused on one thing you would literally run head first into death to get it? It's, like, so much worse. I can't think, it's like, a completely different person, thing, is pulling the strings and I just, all I can think about is feeding. It physically hurts until I do and all I can think about is blood.”

Dr. Strange's eyes narrowed when the boy floated back down to settle on the table, “Well, at the rate your metabolism is running and how quickly it burns through the blood in your body, I'm surprised you can even keep your head at all.”

“Yeah, Tony and Bruce have been helping a lot with that. Their substitute has been helping but I can tell it's not working anymore. I could barely drag myself back yesterday after all this,” Michael tapped at the still healing burns. “Tony, he had to electrocute me when it first happened, I, I don't even remember attacking him but Bruce says it was probably the electricity frying my short term memory.”

Michael flinched when the doctor's heels stomped against the ground when whatever was keeping the man airborne seemed to stop, “I have a few ideas that would help you, but there's a slight problem.”

Michael's eyes light up, “What's the problem?”

“Some spells don't work well together, they tend to cancel out effects and even damage and dispell the weaker ones. I have a feeling that, provided the ones I have in mind work, you may never be able to wear a Glamour again.”

Michael stood up, “If, if they can make all this stop I honestly don't care. Even if it doesn't cure me, if it keeps me from attacking innocent people I don't care.”

Michael noted the doctor biting his lip before he frowned, “I wouldn't get my hopes up.”

“If you could help in some way, that could keep me from even just needing blood, that's all the hope I need.”

“I, I need to let Bruce and Tony know about what I plan, then we can get started.”

Michael's legs gave out, he barely caught himself on the table before he fully hit the ground, even if it wasn't a cure, it was something. Hopefully something that would take and stay.

-

“ _I'd hate to say this but this is going to be a step process to start, it won't happen overnight.”_ Michael sighed at the bag of red, Dr. Strange's words playing through his head, _“And in fact at the start it will probably make everything worse.”_

“Michael? You okay there kiddo?”

Michael meant to give an annoyed sound, what came out was a growl more feral than he intended, “Sorry, everything is just-” He shook his head and drank the fresh drawn blood.

“ _You'll need to triple the amount of blood you intake during the first process because your body needs to regain what it's lost from the spell triggering healing and growth where originally your body didn't know it needed.”_

Michael's stomach cramped up when he tried to eat, no matter what it was, even if it was things he'd eaten regularly and even in larger batches than he probably should have, “I can't,” he bolted for the bathroom, dry heaving was all that happened but it still sent the message, no food.

“ _What we're doing is telling your body to stop disregarding the healing that needs to occur in areas that were preexisting this existence.”_ Michael was curled up in his room, refusing to go out and interact with the others, _“The biggest problem during this time will be keeping your head during the worst of it. It won't be easy, and in fact will probably be painful but you have to keep up with your body's healing, you don't want to lose your head and fall back into that frenzied haze for blood.”_

“I'm thirsty,” Michael whispered, finally dragging himself to the others, “It hurts, and I'm thirsty.”

Tony and Bruce jumped up instantly, ushering the young man to the lab to get on finding him another donor for the night. “You should have spoke up sooner! Strange told us you'd need more but you have to speak up because you know we can't tell how much you need for something like this.”

His stomach couldn't hold all he needed, “Don't,” he grabbed Bruce's arm, “I can't, I can't drink anymore, but I'm still thirsty.”

Bruce's eyes softened and he sat down nearby, “Tell me when you're ready for more?”

Michael nodded as he tried to finish the last few sips from the bag he'd been given.

-

Tony was trying to keep track of how many pints the boy went through but all he'd been able to do was clock how long it took the boy's body to process it before he was drinking more. “How's the pain?”

“It only fades when I'm drinking,” Michael admitted once he finished the second pint in just a few minutes. 2.5 was his limit but he seemed to be pacing himself, whether or not to keep his own count or fearing making himself sick with it.

“ _What the hell did you do to him?!”_ Tony's conversation with Strange ran through his head.

“ _It's a spell of healing Stark, regeneration to be exact. Just think of it as a stem cell transplant. It triggered his body to regenerate the lost marrow. After it's done that it can start on the cell damage and help to repair any other damage the affliction is causing. Just keep him fed. To my knowledge pain medications shouldn't do any harm but I don't know if his body would process them properly or effect his mental status. Don't give him anything that would make him sleep through this, he has to be functioning in order to feed his body and judge his reaction.”_

“ _He's been awake nearly 20 hours Strange, at this point he's afraid to sleep and wake up in that... blood haze of his.”_

“ _He will sleep once the worst of the damage is repaired, just keep him fed, the more blood he intakes the faster his body can heal.”_

Tony frowned at the exhausted boy, “What happens if he drops from exhaustion?”

Bruce frowned at him when he passed him during a run for a donor, “We set up a feeding tube,” was offered.

“We wouldn't know if he needed more without him telling us.”

“Jarvis could tell if his stomach was empty, couldn't he?”

“I could keep track of his vitals and extrapolate when he would require more blood, Sir.”

“Strange said he'd sleep when the worst was over but the way it's going I'm afraid we'll think the worst is over and he'll wake up and not be all there.”

Michael had ducked into the bathroom again, Tony couldn't help but knock on the door when he'd been taking far too long to just hit the head, “Michael, hey everything alright in there?”

No response left Tony looking toward the ceiling, “It seems he's fallen asleep, Sir.”

Tony was instantly through the door and frowning at the running tap, “Kid, you will be the death of me...”

Michael was slumped against the wall beside the sink, fast asleep.

-

Michael winced and curled away from the light shown in his eyes, “Five more minutes.”

“We need to check you over kiddo, sorry but time to wake up.”

Michael grumbled at the hand lifting his wrist to check his pulse, “Mmm' thirsty.”

Bruce was frowning at him, “How's the pain?”

“Annoyin',” was grumbled through a pillow. “Can I get a drink?”

“Yeah, Tony's getting it. Anything, off?”

“Feel heavy,” Michael mumbled as Bruce dropped his hand.

“Like you're going to fall asleep?”

“No, am tired but feel, heavy. Hands feel heavy,” Michael grumbled as he finally turned over to watch his hand as he raised his arm. “Like, there's weights around my arms.”

Bruce frowned at him, “Jarvis, can you do a scan of Michael please? Specifically bone and marrow density?”

Michael threw a hand over his eyes, the lights annoying them. “It, seems to be under normal perimeters Dr. Banner.”

Michael could tell Bruce's eyes perked up at that, “Normal?”

“Don't get your hopes up Bruce, I doubt it will stay that way. Degenerative remember?”

“Your blood disorder is degenerative, this, this could help that.”

“Bruce, I was always sick, I always had anemia when I was younger. They always said I was lucky to live as long as I did. Dad, tried to just push it off, saying that I was a fighter and I'd get past it but we both knew it was degenerative. I was just lucky enough that we could slow the progression. Right now, this, where's Tony? It's getting hard to think already.”

“Right here kiddo, drink up,” Tony handed off the fresh blood and stepped back when Michael drank it so quick he didn't even have time to grab the next bag before it was finished. “Is it still bad?”

“It's getting harder keeping my head clear. Please tell me you have more.”

“Plenty,” Tony frowned at Bruce, but made sure Michael had had his fill before he went to get brought up to speed.

-

Strange came back for another consult after another bone marrow test. “The kid was right, it is degenerative and it's degenerating fast. We can't keep feeding him like this.”

“So there's been no improvement?”

“There's improvement, physically, the problem now is he can do nothing except drink blood to keep the pain from starting again or going into a blood frenzy. Seriously, you need to take that spell off him, it's causing more harm than good now.”

Strange sighed as he checked the data, “It shouldn't deteriorate this fast. After the marrow regeneration it should have moved on to the damaged blood and organs... Is he contagious?”

“Not like a cold but we did have one incident of contagion. It's how we found him in the first place. Blood born contagion. We were able to cure that case. No problems, and no lingering symptoms.”

“But you can't cure Michael?”

“If we cure Michael, he dies from his original condition which is what we're dealing with right now. Marrow and blood deterioration. His body is attacking itself, this way his body is at least able to repair itself and keep him alive.”

“I can, I can try a purification spell, see if that helps his body accept the damaged tissue instead of attacking it.”

“What would that do for him in the long run? If the damaged cells aren't working properly he would continue to be sick.”

“One step at a time,” Strange said as he rubbed his eyes, it was going to be a long day.

-

Michael was staring off at one of the screen while the doctor was working on his spell, “What's that?”

Strange didn't respond, Bruce had to blink and turn to realize he'd been talking to him. “It's the testing from your bone marrow.”

“Why is the DNA wrong?”

Michael felt it the moment Stephen's hands stilled and he drew away, “What do you mean?”

“It's not right. It's wrong... did the sample get contaminated?”

Bruce was blinking at the information, “Wrong?”

Jarvis had already thought to bring up an alternate test, a sample from Michael's blood, “I see no errors sir.”

“That's not right either... That's not the DNA dad showed me...”

Bruce was blinking at the data, “Jarvis do we have any other form of DNA results?”

“I'm afraid not sir.”

“Stephen hold off on that spell,” Strange just shrugged and was already stepping up behind Bruce to check the data. “If he's seen his DNA before and this is wrong...”

“It's the mutation, Banner, he's probably just now seeing the full extent for the first time.”

“We've had the mutated cells and blood on screen even the bone marrow, we never thought to do DNA on the tissue samples. We just used them to run the tests. Oh my god I'm an idiot... Michael, I hate to do this but-” Michael had already nipped a chunk of flesh off his finger, trying to keep any blood contamination to a minimum. Bruce blinked at the chunk held out in a test tube. “Dr. Strange, you've heard of Chimerism haven't you?”

“Yes,” Stephen stepped up as Bruce began running the test.

“Have you ever heard of one where the dominate DNA strain attacked and even tried to kill off the other?”

“I, I can't say I have...”

“I think Michael's body is rejecting its own cells because they're not actually his cells.” Bruce was waving an arm toward Michael, “That could explain why you went into rejection for your liver. If it was your cells and not the other cells, your body would have tried to reject it. If they did blood testing like they usually do to check for a match they used the wrong DNA to match the organ.”

“So, I did need a transplant?”

“And probably need another one if your liver is still producing the same cells your body is attacking. If, there's no if here, your bone marrow and blood supply, that's where the rogue DNA is... Oh god how would we go about fixing this?”

“Without my body rejecting the DNA it should have,” Michael finished as he rubbed his eyes.

“This is, one in a billion at this point,” Bruce stepped away to let Stephen look over the screen. “How are we going to be able to trigger that much marrow regrowth without risking rejection? How are we even going to clear out that much marrow in the first place without him just, regenerating the damaged tissue?”

“This, we might be better off treating the old fashion way. Radiation and Stem cells to start, we would have to judge his response and figure out the best course of action from there. But we have to trigger His dominate DNA to overtake the rejected DNA first.”

“We honestly can't even attempt to find a proper match here, he's one of a kind...”

“What about the one that had been contaminated?”

Michael blinked, “He's not a match to me, plus he's, he's got a mutation of his own.”

“Am I able to know who he is?”

“Spider-man,” Michael responded as he sat back down.

Stephen blinked at him, “Am I able to talk with him?”

“He's, he's at school right now, he should be by later.”

“It looks like I'm clearing my schedule then.”

-

Peter was blinking at them from behind his mask, “Okay, so, Michael's a Chimera, and that's why he's sick?”

“Pretty much. His body is reacting to the secondary set of DNA, and is attacking any cells it produces. Which, honestly, I'm trying to figure out why no one thought to test his tissue against his blood sample.”

“Why didn't we,” Tony asked in a muffled tone while Bruce shook his head.

“Alright, and Dr. Strange wanted to see me because?”

“You were infected with the same mutation. We, haven't seemed to be able to reproduce that in a lab setting.”

“Wait, you've been trying to what?!”

“Relax, only on tissue and blood samples. Nothing live.”

“Okay, and again why would you test that?”

“I believe your mutation was what allowed you to bond with his. I'm wondering if your DNA might be able to help him.”

“Okay, so, where do we start?”

Michael was at least back to stomaching food, Peter was smiling at that; Peter on the hand seemed to be the new test subject.”

“I'm wondering if we can isolate the healing factor and use that to help him...”

“Spider-man,” Peter jumped in the middle of eating his apple. “Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I was wondering if we could test something?”

“Okay, what do you want to test?”

“Your healing.”

“Um, okaaaay, but there might be some problems there. I uh, I can sense danger.”

“Really?”

Peter nodded, “Yeah, um, I don't think I would be much help there.”

“Let me try something,” Peter shifted off his glove and held out his hand to Dr. Strange's outstretched one. “Your danger sense, does it only trigger when you're going to be harmed?”

“Generally, yeah, though there's been some times it's a little weird.”

“How so?” Strange smirked as Peter shrugged and looked away. “Sorry,” Peter winced and jumped away at the sudden sting on his arm.

“Wha-how?!”

“No ill intent was intended and I may have shifted a second in time, though I can neither confirm nor deny that.”

Peter was more fascinated with the small cut on his arm than he was with the watchful doctor, “Um, okay, so magic can glitch it, that's uh... good to know.”

“I doubt it would have worked if I wished you actual harm. How long would you say that will take to heal?”

“Not all that long, it's already stopped bleeding. Should be gone pretty soon, it's just a scratch.”

“Have you ever donated to your friend?”

Peter's eyes were large behind his mask, “Um, yeah, uh before we got him here though. It wasn't really a donation more of an attack.”

“Would you be willing to donate again?”

“Um, sure, I'll have Bruce get the kit set up.”

“Have you tried transfusing?”

“Morbie can't have blood that way too often. It's really complicated to explain.”

“His body has a high probability to reject the blood if it's a transfusion. It's so far been a 100% acceptance when ingested.”

“Have you run him through dialysis? Help clear out the damage cells and see if his body still attacks the healthy cells.”

Michael shifted, “It's, been tried but, it was just before all of this started out. Dad, tried that after we figured out transfusion didn't work anymore.”

“And that was before the mutation?”

“Yeah, I'm, I'm worried about needing blood afterward. So, we've tried to steer clear of things that would diminish my blood supply.”

“We need to run DNA testing, we need to find out exactly what all is being attacked because at this rate, we have to know before we go trying to fix it again. Because as it stands it looks like you were perfectly fine without your marrow, at least as you are now. We need to figure out what else is being attacked. If we can, we'll see about getting you a new liver and hopefully we can just, bypass the marrow all together. It won't be a cure but if you stay as you are it might, might be able to lessen your symptoms at least to a more manageable state.”

“I'd have to stay like this though, because I can't handle transfusions...”

“The big unknown variable is, if they were going by just blood testing, they might have been giving you the wrong blood this whole time.”

Michael smirked, “You know, they actually thought I had Lupis at one point... They even tried O type, to see if it worked.”

Strange rolled his eyes, “Everything gets put under 'Lupis' if they don't have an idea of what's going on. Unless it's mainly abdominal pain then it goes under Crones...”

“Sure thing House,” Michael mumbled, making Peter chuckled in the distance.

-

Peter knew something was wrong with the transfusion the moment Michaels hands started trembling, he turned wide eyes over to Bruce and Strange the moment the goosebumps started showing on his friend's arm. “Something's wrong, I think he's rejecting it.”

“Damnit, stop the transfusion,” Strange was already reaching to check for temperature automatically while Bruce reached to pull away the needle and bag. “Has this happened before?”

“We told you, we steer clear of transfusions cause of the chance of rejection.”

“He's rejected blood before under watch, it wasn't like this. He's not running a fever he's freezing.” Michael's teeth were chattering as Bruce checked him over.

Strange grabbed at the transfusion bag, “This is fresh?”

“Yeah, no preservatives, they, they don't do well with him.”

“It feels like it came out of the refrigerators.”

Bruce rubbed at his eyes while Peter just looked around, confused, “I'll get the heating blankets.”

“Peter could you get him something warm he can stomach?”

“Right now, water is about all I'd risk but yeah I'll get him something to warm up.”

Michael instantly latched onto the warm mug and just held it close as the blankets were wrapped around him, “What went wrong?”

“We didn't take into account spiders are cold blooded... Spider-man runs colder than we do and we didn't heat the blood to proper temperature.”

“Medical malpractice suit, we essentially gave you hyperthermia.”

Michael tried to laugh, “So, it's not rejection?”

“You'd be running a fever if it was...”

“Good,” Michael mumbled as he hid in the heating blankets as best he could while trying to sip the heated water, he ended up biting the mug when he couldn't get his teeth to stop chattering and someone instantly grabbed it before he could cut his lip on the jagged edges.

“Let me get you a less destructible cup,” Bruce instantly rushed off.

Michael was actually trying to laugh through his chattering teeth at the size of the cup Bruce brought back, it sounded like some weird chatter/squeak of noise. “Hulk's mug?”

Bruce smiled and nodded, “I don't think he'll mind. From what I've been told, he likes you.”

-

Peter wouldn't leave the lab, even after Strange had made sure he had set up Michael with an extremely specific spell of healing before leaving. “He's still running cold,” was his excuse, sounding a little panicked, “Why didn't this happen when he attacked me?”

“You know how humans process food, so I'll cliff notes it for you. His body already had it acclimated to his body temperature before it entered his blood supply. It's the same reason we feel a little warm or cold after eating something hot or cold but it's short lived because the body is already making sure the food is the correct temperature before it processes the nutrients.”

“How did I not notice I'm cold blooded?”

“You're not exactly cold blooded, you probably get chilled quicker but your temperature is just on the tail end of 'low' for the normal range. We didn't think about that we just... auto-piloted getting him his usual meal and didn't think to check the temperature because usually he ingests it.”

Peter jumped when he saw Michael turn in his sleep and curl up, sweat started beading on his brow, “Oh god, that's rejection isn't it?”

Bruce frowned and instantly started pulling the blankets off when Jarvis confirmed the spike in temperature. “Jarvis kill the power to the blankets and get some cold packs up here.”

“On it Dr. Banner.”

-

Michael woke up starving, his stomach churned and growled at him as he shifted aching limbs, “Hmm?”

Peter shifted, sleeping in a nearby web hammock while Bruce was passed out slumped over the lab table. “Hmm,” was echoed as Peter rubbed his eyes and mumbled. “Michael?”

“'m hungry,” was grumbled as he yawned and rubbed his eyes.

“Hungry like hungry hungry?”

“Mhm,” Michael mumbled, he stumbled trying to stand upright.

“Whoa easy,” Peter jumped down and caught his friend before he could fall, “You stay resting I'll get you something to eat.”

“Something, real, please?”

Peter chuckled as he helped him back into bed, “Sure thing, Morbie, real food.”

“Why does everything hurt?”

“You just went through rejection and Strange tried to use a healing spell to help counter the rejection but I don't think it worked as well as he wanted it to, you're still feverish.”

“I don't feel hot, just, starving.”

“Really?” Peter blinked at the glance towards his neck but let it go when Michael just sleepily nodded and curled back up. “Okay, real food.”

“Thanks.”

Bruce finally growled in his sleep and blinked at Peter shoving at his shoulder, “Sorry, Dr. Banner but Morbie's up and he's eating a lot and I'm starting to worry he's gonna make himself sick.”

“Wha,” Bruce grumbled as he rubbed his eyes and fixed his glasses before blinking at the boy tearing through his tray of food. “Oh, um, you should slow down.”

“I'm starving, it's settling okay, I don't feel nauseous at all, just starving.”

“Actually, he's kinda acting like I did,” Peter blinked and looked over toward Michael, “Um, what kinda spell did Dr. Strange do again?”

“He said it was to help him accept the blood, to counter the rejection.”

“Okay, what happens if it was strong enough for him to accept the blood completely, including the mutation in it?”

“Oh dear,” Bruce grumbled as he rubbed his eyes and headed for the phone.

“Still doing good?”

Michael had finally seemed to eat himself sleepy and nodded, “Just, kinda-”

“Jumpy, twitchy? Like you've had too much caffeine to sleep?”

“Yeah,” Michael grumbled as he kept blinking to stay awake, “And everything still aches.”

“Yeah, yeah, that, that should go away.”

“I just hope it doesn't take more blood to make that stop.”

Peter winced, “I have a feeling it won't.”

“What makes you say that?”

Peter shrugged, “Are you thirsty at all? I mean even after rejection you're usually thirsty.”

Michael blinked, “No, I'm not.”

“Yeah, hopefully that part won't go away.”

Michael was resting when something got knocked off and crashed to the floor, he jerked awake so suddenly he landed back on the bed on all fours, eyes quickly searching out the source of the noise while Doctor Strange laughed, “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up.”

Michael's adrenaline was still spiked as he settled back on the bed, “No, it's alright, scared me is all.”

“Spiderman said that might be a... thing is how he put it.”

“Yeah, he said it should go away.”

Michael shifted to sit upright and blink at the doctor checking him over as the adrenaline started fading. “He said you were starving when you woke up. How much did you end up drinking?”

Michael shook himself awake and yawned, “Nothing, I was starving for food. I probably ate more than I have in years. I just hope I don't have problems with it later... I didn't think of that.”

“Dr. Banner has said you've been working on getting your digestion back to a more normal working order so it might just be more of a stress test than a problem.”

Michael hummed in acknowledgment as he pulled his sleeve up to let the doctor take a blood sample. “I'll see if Bruce has something that can help if it's a problem. He's gotten really good at predicting what can help.”

“How long until this one backfires?”

“Pardon,” Dr. Strange blinked at him once he finished with the vial.

“Spells don't seem that successful with me, how long until we figure out if it'll fail?”

“Well, you're not chugging blood, and you seem to have a functional appetite. I'd say that's at least a partial success.”

“Yeah well, I got a gut feeling something is gonna go wrong...”

Dr. Strange smirked, “It's probably all that food you ate.”

Michael rolled his eyes as the doctor chuckled and started the tests. “What about my blood? If it did fix my craving there's still that problem.”

“We're still working on that-”

“Let me know when it gets to the point I need confined to the Hulk playroom.”

Michael dropped down to head for the door while the doctor blinked at him.

-

Spider-man snagged the soda from him before he could even pull the tab, “No carbonation Morbie, everyone's still worried about your stomach going nuclear.”

Michael rolled his eyes, “I just, want a soda. I haven't had one in so long I wanted to see if I still like them while my stomach is still somehow fine with me eating.”

“Unless you wanna try flat soda-no.”

Michael made a face as he sat back, “What about koolaid? Something higher in sugar without carbonation?”

Peter looked unsure but hell, so far, they haven't had any backlash from the seeming sudden appetite change, “I'll... I'll run that by Bruce.”

“Mhm,” Michael's stomach gurgled, making him wince, “Can you mention random cramping, it's just annoying it's not like painful or anything. Probably just not liking processing so much at once.”

“Yeah... um, you want anything for that?”

“Honestly not, but I might need something to keep from backing up.”

“I'll, yeah, I'll mention it.”

“Thanks.”

Michael blinked at Bruce tapping his shoulder and blinked at the glass handed to him, it was an opaque amber color and much smaller than the normal ones. “Just try to keep it down.”

“What is it?”

“Juice, thickeners, it's apple if you're wondering. Sorry about the odd color.”

“Fiber?”

“No, it's a... a natural low strength softener, just, alert us if you're sensitive to it and make sure to drink plenty of water.”

“Okay,” Michael made a face, his brain not expecting the thickened texture of 'apple juice' before shrugging off the unease and drinking it down. “Suddenly not in the mood for koolaid anymore.”

Bruce smiled and patted his shoulder, “Just keep us posted.”

“Yeah, sure.”

-

Michael came into the lab grumbling, “Thought it was a low strength softener?”

Bruce chuckled, “It was, apple juice can help with digestive issues, there were no laxatives or anything like that.”

“Must just be not use to going to the bathroom so much then.”

Bruce shrugged as he offered a bottle of water, “You'll get use to it.”

Michael grumbled, “How's everything looking?”

“You're healthy cell production is up.”

Michael's head shot up as he rushed to check, “Really?!”

“It's still not ideal. And now, we can't cure the mutation, it's interwoven.”

“It's helping though.”

“How have you been feeling? Any thirst or haze?”

Michael shook his head, smiling, “I feel, fine, I mean, my stomach is already growling at me again but it's actually food I want. I haven't been jumpy around people and I'm not even thirsty when I smell- Spidey had a cut he's hiding, he thinks I don't know but I can smell the bruising around it. It's just not actively bleeding.”

“He's hurt? Why didn't he say something?! It could have sent you into an Incident.”

Michael shrugged, “He's always acted strong, he hides things like that. And he was watching me like a hawk earlier, he knew I knew but since I didn't react to it he let it slide. He's a good friend like that, if it's not a problem he won't make one of it.”

“Right now that's still something we need to know, in case something does happen with it.”

“It's across his back. His right scapula. If, if you want to be stealth about knowing, have Tony give him a back slap, he'll flinch. Just, don't blow up at him...”

“I'm the last person that'll blow up at something.”

Michael was snickering, “So, it's an improvement, any idea how to keep it being an improvement?”

Bruce was showing him, “Thanks to Spider-man's healing it seems your body can recover quick enough to at least slow the deterioration, but it's not a sure fix. It's still only slowing the deterioration.”

“So, I will get thirsty at some point.”

“From the look of it, with the changes to your appetite, it might be a week before it happens.”

“I'll still need blood, but, it's a hell of a lifeline right now.”

“Spider-man could only take the pain for 3 days before it got bad enough he spoke out, he never actually went into the bloodthirst haze you have. We only have his input on the mutation he experienced and how well you've dealt with it since we started getting you to eat.”

“I'll, I'll speak up before that.”

They both looked up when Peter bolted into the room, “Hey Morbie! Oh, am I interrupting something?”

“Nah, getting an update, it looks like it's working.”

“Really? Awesome! Oh, hey, wanna help me take down the death star?”

Michael blinked, “Wait did you actually get your hands on-”

“Yeah! Come on, let's go take down the sith!”

Michael shot off after the excited bouncing teen, “Dude, sith gets a bad wrap!”

Bruce blinked as Michael's hand grabbed the doorframe, using it to help pivot around the corner before the teen slammed into the wall nearby, “What happened?!”

“Morbie, you okay?”

Michael was rubbing his cheek, looking confused when he tugged but couldn't get his fingers away from the frame, “Yeah, I'm, stuck...”

“What?” Peter seemed to forget he was in civilians when he helped tug before his feet ended up on the frame and he circled to try and get better leverage, “Did you spill something on your hands? Superglue maybe?”

“No, thank you very much, I washed my hands...”

It seemed to dawn on Peter and he stopped trying to pry it off, “Um, try relaxing?”

“Kinda hard to relax after getting slammed in the face by a wall.”

“I mean, just calm down a bit and just relax your hands.”

Michael ended up sitting down, his shoulder didn't like the angle he had to do it but he tried to calm down, tensing when he felt Peter's hand touch his, “That's not helping.”

“Just, relax,” Peter was rubbing at the back of his hand, where the fingers connected to palm. Finally he got his friend use to the touch and could feel the fingers lifting away, “There, you're free.”

“What the ever loving fuck was that?” Michael was rubbing his palms, trying to figure out how the hell he got 'stuck' but they were smooth and dry.

“Um, secondary mutation?”

Michael groaned as he shifted his shoulder to ease up the ache from turning it weirdly, “This is gonna be a good day...”

“Just, don't touch things when you're worked up? Just until we get you use to how to choose when to stick to things?”

Bruce coughed, nodding his head toward the ground at Peter, who sheepishly dropped down before helping his friend up. “Keep me up to date on the mutation.”

“Will do doc,” Michael blinked when he felt Peter's hand keep a grip on his shirt a little longer than intended as they headed to play games.

“Is it really a good idea to play an expensive game when I can't even drop things on command?”

“Probably not, let's play catch in the commons or something.”

“Okay, that sounds like a slightly less costly idea.”

“Slightly?”

“Dude, wasn't it your aunt that said no ball in the house?”

“Har har, it's just an exercise, we can go to the gym if you want.”

“Sounds better.”

“Gym it is.”

-

Michael was sitting next to the kitchen, knowing it was a 'family dinner' night, waiting it out and glaring at the ball he had effectively gotten stuck to his hand. “Yo, Parker, I need some help with this thing.”

He knew he'd heard him, grumbling, probably on the ceiling in the next room, though he wasn't sure if it would be Peter or Spider-man that came up to help. “What's up Legosi?” He was not expecting Sam.

“Secondary mutation, been working on dealing with not being able to drop things. Was working on it and now I'm stuck.”

Sam was blinking at him shaking his hand that held the soft ball, “Oh, just, let it go?”

“Not putting any pressure on it,” Michael held out his hand, “Feel free to take it from me.”

He was able to lift the very tips of his fingers off the ball to show he wasn't palming it, “Okay.”

Sam tugged, frowning, “Wait, are you like stuck stuck? Someone prank you with a glued ball or something?”

“Nope, secondary mutation, like Spider-man.”

“That's, not coming off...”

“That's my problem. I've been trying to relax like Webhead has been telling me, it's not working.” Michael held his hand up when he heard shuffling from above, “Can I get some help here?

Spider-man slowly gave a clap while Michael lifted off the ground glaring as he stuffed the ball in his face, “I'm sorry I'll help, I just couldn't help myself.”

“Shut up and get this damn thing off me...”

“I told you to relax, you're still tense, even if you're mind is calm your hands are tensed up, that doesn't help.”

“I'm tense because the damn thing still won't come unstuck!”

Spider-man sighed as he reached out and took hold of the ball and rubbed at the back of his hand, “Just relax your hand, you keep your tension in your hands, you always have.”

Michael was still grumbling until he finally felt the ball pop away from his hand, “Thank god I'm free!”

“Just try to keep your hands relaxed when you're grabbing things or they'll keep getting stuck.”

“Easier said than done.”

Dinner was... interesting.

Michael glared at his hand the moment he grabbed the glass, and he had been doing so good. “I'm not going to be able to let it go... I felt it stick.”

Spider-man sighed as he reached over to take hold of the other side of the glass and show him where he rubbed to always get his hand to relax, “You'll get use to it.”

“How the hell did you do this? It's bad enough with someone here that knows how to deal with it.”

He got a shrug when he finally felt the glass slip loose to drop back onto the table, “Just, necessity.”

“Do you want to sit next to each other?”

They both blinked up at Sam's voice before shifting back, he laughed, “If this is going to be a normal thing it might be better.”

They ended up laughing after the seat change when Michael glared at the spoon now stuck to his hand, Spider-man just reached over to repeat the relaxation technique across the back of his hand. “It'll get better.”

“Couldn't get worse.”

“Dude, trust me, it could be worse, don't even jinx it saying that.”

“Don't want to know.”

Spider-man just shook his head and went back to eating.

-

Michael woke up, suddenly feeling like every hair on his body was standing on end, “Jarvis, who's here?”

“No one is in the immediate vicinity sir. Would you like me to see if Sir or Dr. Banner can be raised?”

“No, is, is Spider-man awake?”

“He seems to always be alert, sir, even when asleep.”

Right, that's right, Peter was hyper aware. Michael shook his head, “Thank you Jarvis.” He still felt like he was standing next to something high voltage, like a charge brushing his skin. He stumbled and slammed his hand against the wall, wincing at the sudden ripple effect it caused his vision. “Fuck!”

“Sir, is everything alright?”

“Don't talk,” Michael's vision finally settled, closing his eyes helped against the odd input. “Fuck, what the hell was that?”

His vision still rippled when he walked, bare feet causing it until suddenly his feet were stuck, and he couldn't get them loose, “Sir?”

He winced and closed his eyes against the nauseating ripple, “Fuck, get Banner, and Spider-man, I'm stuck and I can't-” It was some fucked up visuals, eyes opened or closed, the room kept drifting in waves at the sounds.

“Michael?”

He whimpered as Peter reached him first, trying to curl up but his legs won't let him off the floor. “Don't talk, it keeps-”

Peter was smart enough to grab the bin when he couldn't pick his friend up before he stopped trying to to be not be sick at the input overload. “Okay, relax. This is the last I'll talk but you need to relax.”

Michael was afraid to open his eyes when the door opening brought the room into some odd starburst detail. Steps brought small sections into focus, he whimpered when the door shutting caused the starburst to happen again, this time Peter's silhouette was missing. He nearly got his, now stuck, arm free from the floor before the door opened again, throwing him off and making him tense before he could get his hand loose. He risked opening his eyes at the worst time when multiple feet patted across the floor, causing odd crashed of ripples through his vision. He felt a touch on his hand, flinching at first, before he settled and calmed against the rubbing Peter had shown him, helping him calm down until his hand finally came loose. He felt his arm slung over someone's shoulder as he worked on getting the rest of his limbs to cooperate. At first the beating against his ear helped, but then once he was concentrating on it, he tensed at the sudden repetitive image of lunges, rib cage, spine, organs flashing in his head. He felt sick again, reaching toward the bin he knew was there, he was lucky, able to release the bin once he'd finished heaving and his right leg was freed from the damn floor.

The door slammed open as the two helping was finally lifting him up, he tensed, nearly pulling the two down when one of his feet stuck to the floor, he felt muscles flexing under his arms, too afraid to open his eyes. “Michael, float.”

“I can't... I can't tell where I am.”

Michael was whining, too much, too many things flashing in his head, just too much. But his feet lifted from the floor, feeling a hand brush them so he was bending his knees. “I've got you.” His levitation faltered when he heard Peter's voice, a hand set on his shoulder, “Just hold on to me.”

Too much, too much, he felt the air shift as he was pulled along after Peter as they walked out of the room. Heartbeat, his ears focused on it again, making him tense. Peter let him drift away until he could stop focusing on the images again. Peter's muscles where tensing and relaxing when he finally set his hand back on his shoulder. “Peter?”

He caught the flash of vocal cords and moving jaw before he thought better of speaking and rubbed his arm to keep the volume as low as possible. The elevator was not an experience he would ever endure again, covering his ears and screeching so loud it almost drowned out the mechanical grinding of gears and tracks, lighting up the entire shaft, freaking him into slamming against the corner before he finally passed out, “Too much, too much.”

-

Peter was sitting on the bed, thanking Clint he knew sign language-maybe not fluently but well enough to communicate as he explained he had a friend that might be able to explain what the hell just happened. He got worried looks from the other two before shrugging and signing something in the ballpark of “you got a better idea? I'm all ears.”

Bruce was nodding, out of ideas at that point, they couldn't even have Jarvis active in the room for god's sake, Michael had been whimpering in his sleep, still affected by whatever the fuck was going on.

Tony was tapping his fingers against his leg, Tony for “I want to fucking say something but I'm not even sure I can word it properly”, at least they'd gotten a better short hand sign system for some of the things along the way. It didn't help that Tony's hands were shaking and he was at the point he was dropping the signs and slipping into his general 'talk with his hands' flailing. Bruce was trying not to laugh.

“He understands things like this, my friend can help,” Peter's hands were shaking too but they finally understood.

Michael whined when Tony's thumb connected with his Arc, “Fine.” After that he flung his hands at Peter, dismissing as he tried to figure out how the hell they were supposed to figure out what the fuck was going on when they couldn't even properly communicate around the kid.

Peter took off after changing, hoping is wasn't too late to make a deal with the Devil.

-

Spider-man was standing in front of him, his hands kept moving along with his words, “I have a friend that needs your help.”

“You're signing,” it was more question as the kid nodded, “Why?”

“I need to get use to it, we can't even speak around him, sound is triggering something. The elevator, it completely shut his brain down, he passed out from the noise. I've, I've never heard a scream like that.” Peter shook his hands while he took a breath, “Please, you helped me out with the hypersensitive, can you try to help him?”

“Is it just sound?”

“I don't know, he didn't freak out from us touching him, it seemed to help him. He, he wouldn't even open his eyes the whole time, he kept panicking when he did.”

“I don't know sign,” the Devil grumbled as his head shift before he stepped forward, “But lead the way.”

“Thank you!”

Peter was frowning as Daredevil took off his boots and gloves before he motioned for him to open the door. He took a deep breath before the door slid open and he slowly walked in, trying to be as quiet as he could. Tony was looking to be trying to stay awake while Bruce's head turned toward them instantly, Peter just waved, “This is my friend.”

Bruce nudged Tony, who stared with wide eyes while Peter carefully shut the door. Daredevil's head shot around, turning towards each of them before appearing to scan the room and settle on the unconscious boy. He took a deep breath before signally the others back toward the door, leaving the room again. “That room is- it's good for him to sleep in when it gets too bad but that's going to make it worse when he gets out of it.”

“What the hell is going on with him? It was, it just happened so sudden.”

“He, he's not a normal kid is he?”

Peter was shaking his head, “He's genetically sliced. Vampire bat and spider now, I guess.”

“Has he had any issues with vibrations like you have?”

Tony was staring at him, blinking, while Peter shrugged, “Not that I could tell, right now it's sound that's freaking him the fuck out.”

Daredevil was grimacing, “Bats use echolocation.”

“But, bats are sighted, right? I mean, I know they have bad vision but the echolocation is for like caves and stuff, places they can't get the light to see.”

“Slow down, what I'm saying is, he's sighted, if this is new the echolocation might effect that because he's never used it before. It's, it's crossing some wires in his brain and it's freaking him out.”

“Okay, how- how can we fix this?”

“It's going to take time. That room will give him some peace but he needs to be introduced to not safe zones. It'll give him time to get use to it.”

“How, how can we help him with the whole crossed wires thing?”

Daredevil shrugged, “I honestly have no idea.” Scratching at his chin he tilted his head, “The room's soundproof... He'll need to be awake to see exactly how bad it is.”

“He, probably was asleep at least that what Jarvis said. He's liable to be out for awhile. I-I understand if you need to leave.”

“I'll make some calls, see if I can stay at least until he wakes up.”

“Thanks double D you're the best.”

Daredevil was annoying Tony at this point, the man required a relic keyboard for fuck's sake! He was typing out something for Michael from the outside of the 'safe room'. “I need you to try to concentrate on just seeing.”

Michael was nodding as he read the letters. As long as he was trying not to pay attention to how quiet the room he didn't get stuck on the sound beating in his own chest. He took a noticeable breath before he read the next letters, Daredevil miming the action from the other side of the glass. He was visibly shaking when he brought his hand up and stared at the word, snap. A starburst hit his vision, rippling through it suddenly, making him feel nauseous. He shut his eyes, a bright light flashing behind his eyelids making him panic for a moment before he realized it was Spider-man, using a red light to get him to pay attention. “Keep your eyes open, concentrate on separating your sight and hearing. You're hearing is getting confused with your sight.”

Michael honestly wanted to yell, the noise in his throat causing a sudden sharp ripple through the room, two heads shot toward the speaker letting them hear what was said inside the room. “What was that sound?”

Michael was near tears at that point, the room kept rippling each time the sound caught in his throat. He couldn't keep his eyes open, the world kept distorting, imposing image after image into the technicolor world his eyes were showing him. The door opened when his knees hit the ground, making the copies settle for a second before feet caused a cascade of ripples before arm wrapped around him. “Listen.”

It wasn't Peter's voice, or heart that his ear was set against, it made him whine, “I don't... I don't want to see...”

Daredevil stilled, his heart fluttering, “I know, I know what it looks like, feels like, but it's something to settle you, it's something to focus on. Once you find that focus you can control it.”

“Your ribs are fractured.”

Daredevil's chest kept heaving like he wanted to laugh, heart finally settling. “I know.”

“Your chest is scared.”

“I know.”

“How do I do this?”

“I-I don't know.”

Michael was staring up at him, reaching out when the heartbeat finally reached up to the helmet, tapping on the cheek, he hadn't opened his eyes yet. “Your ears... your eardrums haven't stopped moving once.”

That got the devil to grin, “They never do.”

“You've been through this-”

“Not exactly, I was much younger and, I didn't have to worry about the same wires getting crossed as you.”

“It's easier, with my eyes closed. It's just... so much out there.”

“I know.”

Michael squirmed, holding tighter, “Bruce and Tony are arguing down the hall.”

“I know.”

“How do you do it? Separating sound and sight?” Michael reached out when Daredevil pulled away, a whimper causing the world to starburst, “Please, don't leave.”

Michael winced at the sound of the door shutting, ringing through the room like a bell, causing him to turn his head as he finally got a full image of it. Finally the small rippled of steps as Daredevil returned, reaching down to help him sit back up onto the bed, “I don't have to.” Michael risked opening his eyes, wincing as the voice caused the room to distort and duplicate, “You can't cross wires that don't work.”

Michael got to the point his own breathing was loud in his ears, “It's too quiet.”

Daredevil sat beside him and tipped his head so he could listen to his heart again, “Just, keep your breathing calm, no matter how bad it seems.”

“It's just, too much...”

“It gets better.”

“I can't even keep my eyes open, it's-it's like the world got thrown into a mixer, the sound keeps... it's too much.”

Michael's head tipped up toward the wall now displaying text, Bruce and Tony on the other side, “Is it safe to enter now?” His eyes winced closed as he laughed at that.

“What?”

“They're asking if it's safe to come in.”

“That's your choice.”

Michael nodded toward the door, keeping his eyes closed as the starbursts slowly patted across the floor, “Just, no loud noises, please.”

“How are you doing?”

Tony's voice was like ripples in a pool, much easier than the starbursts to see Bruce standing next to him. “I, I'm seeing sound.”

Peter's heart was pounding, panicked, snapping and cracking like flames, Daredevil was the one to say, “Deep breath, calm down.”

The deep inhale was almost like a rush of water, filling the lungs in his chest before the image faded, “Yeah, calm, right.”

“I'm surprised how easily you're adapting to seeing sound.”

“It's easier when I'm not using my eyes. When they're open, it's, like trying to watch a washing machine, everything just jumbles and makes me so nauseous.”

Daredevil was smirking when Michael opened his eyes, “It gets easier to filter out things.”

Michael nodded, “It-it's easier to understand, but a lot of noise still makes it... stutter and like, like the blur tool on computers. Everything just imposes over itself until I can't tell where it begins and ends.”

“Are you at the point you're not going to have a panic attack if you're alone?”

“Just, don't talk over each other, no like not a lot of noise.”

Michael's head settled back over Daredevil's heart, “Still okay?”

Michael nodded, “Panic attacks are exhausting.”

Michael felt and heard the sharp chuckle, “Yeah, they are.”

“I-I don't want to be alone.”

“Don't worry, I'm not planning on leaving for awhile.”

“Maybe after a nap I can try that thing with separating sight and sound.”

“Yeah.”

“Thank you,” Daredevil shifted away to let him lay down and curl up, blinking with every starburst as the others left the room, shutting the door.

-

Michael winced, awoken by the distant crackle of Jarvis announcing lunch was ready. Daredevil's bare foot clapped the floor, helping distract from the crackle that rippled down the hall, making him sigh at the image of water rippling through the room, “Thanks.”

“Jarvis can get on your nerves when you can hear the electronics.”

The door, that Daredevil grumbled about being cracked open, slammed shut, making them both wince, “He didn't mean offense by that it's just, your voice is like that snap of electricity when you attach leads to a battery.”

Michael risked opening his eyes to the wall at the small beep, “No offense taken, sir,” was typed onto the glass. He couldn't help but laugh, closing his eyes when the sound devolved to nothing more than rippling twisting colors.

“What'd I miss?”

“Jarvis is the only one I know that can have that much sass in 2D form.”

Michael finally settled his laughing enough to risk opening his eyes, “I aim to please,” was typed out on the wall.

“Hey, any chance we can take a walk?”

“Are you sure you're up to it?”

“As long, as long as I don't have to keep my eyes open, I should be alright.”

“I'll get some noise canceling headphones from the science bros before we take you out of this room. In case it all just hits.”

“That, that's a good idea.”

Daredevil's boots helped, the tone low and booming but not in a way that grated on his ears, “Those are on purpose aren't they?”

“Yes, is it that obvious?”

“It is when you're seeing with your ears.”

Michael winced his eyes closed at the next step but caught Daredevil's smirk. “Hey, Mike.”

“Ease with the voices,” Daredevil's arm reached out, as if to physically keep Sam away.

“Hey, Sammy.”

“Okay, I get it, I'll stop.”

“Thank you.”

“Lunch is not the best place to test your focus,” Daredevil whispered.

“I'm starving, and I don't want to test what happens if I starve myself...”

“Just, I suggest the noise canceling headphones during lunch. It gets... nauseating if you're not use to filtering.”

“Okay,” Michael settled in the chair he was lead to before reaching out to take the ear pieces and put them in his ears. Lunch was mainly quiet, he could open his eyes and peacefully eat without any sever incidence of vision distortion. He blinked when Clint patted his shoulder, hands flailing at him. “What?”

Daredevil was saying something next to him, stopping his hand when he tried to take out one of the ear pieces, shaking his head at him and patting his shoulder. Clint ended up grabbing something to type out , “how are you doing?”

“Better, sort of, my eyes and ears are messed up. Daredevil said it's best to not hear lunch because of that.”

Clint nodded and smiled at him, the pat on his shoulder making his vision rippled momentarily before he settled across from him. He frowned at the mouthed words, shifting hands before it clicked, “Need teach you sign.”

Michael smiled and shrugged, “Not sure how well that will go. I'm horrible at picking up languages. Spent over a year in Greece, can't speak a word.”

Daredevil's shoulders were shaking, he reached for the pad from Clint, saying something to it before showing it to Michael, “Could be worse, my friend took a semester of Punjabi, can't remember a single word.”

Michael chuckled, shutting his eyes when the static invaded his vision, “Girl?”

Daredevil nodded, grinning.

Michael winced when he tried to take a bite from the chicken leg in front of him, Daredevil was on instant alert when he stopped and set it down, swallowing hard. He shook his head, he'd eaten chicken just the other day, why now did it suddenly make him nauseous?”

Spider-man's head was tilted at him, mouth moving, he smiled and shook his head. Clint waved the tablet at him “Gonna be sick?”

Michael shrugged, Daredevil was talking, he reached up but his hands were stopped again. Clint held up the tablet, “Red says don't fucking take them out if you feel sick, you will be sick.”

Michael nodded and relaxed his hands, letting Daredevil take his hands away, “I don't know what caused that.”

Clint was typing, “Texture? Taste?”

Michael shook his head.

Daredevil just held a finger to his ear, Michael nodded, “Yeah, just, teeth tearing flesh.”

Clint slumped and held up his tablet, “That's fucking complicated for a vampire.”

Michael couldn't help but laugh as he pushed the plate away and set his head against the table, trying to focus on the hand now on his back and not the cacophony of images the laughter caused his eyes.

-

Daredevil heard the noise, wondering at first if he'd somehow gotten his time mixed up, thinking it was the noon bells as he headed to the safe room Michael had. He smiled when he realized the door was cracked again and the boy was laying on the table, using one of his billy clubs to strike the low tone radiating from the room. “Getting your footing?”

Michael turned his head toward him, “This is on purpose too isn't it?”

Daredevil shrugged, “It helps sometimes. Clears the room.”

Michael was smiling, “I still can't get my vision to stay focused when I hear something. Though voices doesn't seem to trigger the static as much.”

“That's improvement. I, I didn't have nearly that control when I first started dealing with my hearing.”

“Is it bad that I'm hoping it's still mutating so it just... levels off on it's own?”

“No, no it's not.”

Michael turned his ear towards him, making him wonder if this is how Foggy felt after knowing, “...Okay.”

“I, I was hoping it was a bad dream, a nightmare. I'd wake up and open my eyes... And the world would be normal again. But, it never happened, and I learned to accept that.”

“My world keeps changing, I don't think I've ever had 'normal', what was it like?”

“The usual, school, friends, family,” Daredevil shrugged.

“Oh, I guess it was normal, I had that before... all this.”

“Everyone has their version of 'normal'.”

Michael held out the club, “How bad is it out there?”

“Too bad for you to risk going out there, you will have a meltdown.”

“I figured as much, never hurts to ask.”

Michael's eyes rolled toward the flashing light, seeing “Michael, you have a visitor,” on the wall. “I have a visitor.”

“Oh? Are they coming here?”

“I, I don't know... Jarvis? Who is it?”

“Dr. Strange,” was typed out.

“Oh it's my doctor, um, yeah, the lab is where he'll be waiting.”

“Are you ready for that?”

“Bring the headphones?”

“I'll bring the headphones.”

Daredevil was a little tense walking them to the lab, “You okay?”

“Don't like... sterile, hospital settings.”

“I can understand that, what is that whine? It's like static.”

“The electricity in the room, just, close your eyes if it gets bad I'll guide you if you need it.”

Michael was able to keep his eyes open long enough to see the frown on the doctor's face as Daredevil settled him onto the table, “Um, there's a development.”

“Tony's informed me, it's why I came early. We want to get an FMRI.”

Daredevil actually hissed, “That's not going to happen for awhile.”

“He's right, I can, the room is like static on the tv, but it's in color, I'm I can barely filter out the sound of the electricity in the room. I've had MRIs, it's, loud.”

“What about the noise canceling headphones, Tony said you had them.”

“There's metal in them, and, we're not sure how vibrations effect me.”

“It's another sensitivity he has due to his mutation.”

“Surely you're not that sensitive to vibrations.”

“Bruce didn't leave the room above my safe room, paced most of the night,” Stephen's shoulders drooped as Michael shrugged, Daredevil was just smirking, “I didn't realize his room was above it until then.”

Bruce looked like he wanted to speak but Michael just shrugged at him. He finally shook his head and gave an apologetic smile.

“If I can get a set strong enough to work, would you do the FMRI?”

Michael shrugged at Tony's voice, not even bothering to look towards him, “If you can, sure, but, I want a safe word.”

Daredevil's hand flew to his mouth, making Michael grin at the random starbursts of fractured ribs, scared chest and heaving lungs. “Avocado.”

“Wha?”

“Safe word, not like you'd ever say it.”

Michael was smiling as he leaned back and shrugged, “What the hell, it's as good as any.”

“Michael, have you ever tried meditating?”

Everyone blinked at Daredevil's question, “No.”

“I think that'll help you.”

Bruce seemed a little impressed once Stephen's check up was over and Daredevil was helping Michael get back before the overload set in. “Wait, you meditate?”

“Yes, it helps focus, among other things.”

“Huh, I didn't expect the Devil to meditate.”

Daredevil shrugged, “You'd be surprised what the devil does.”

“Mind some company?”

“It's up to Michael.”

“Yeah, of course you can join.”

“Your stomach is growling.”

“I don't think I can eat...”

“Pick something you don't have to chew, it helps transition.”

“I'm so sick of oatmeal, and crème of wheat! I Just got on solids!”

“I'm sorry but it does help.”

Michael whined, but Daredevil knew the difference between playing and serious, this was just enough playing in it for him to let it slide. “Jello?”

“Don't ya gotta chew jello?”

“Sort of.”

“It's something.”

“Just don't let Tony hear he's on an all smoothie diet... again.”

“Kelp is not a smoothie ingredient!”

Michael had to close his eyes and lean on Daredevil at the laughter that followed, happy to at least have small victories.

-

Ear plug were not in anyway the same as the blessing that is Stark tech noise canceling, “You're doing good Michael, just find your center like I taught you.”

It was at the point the vibrations were grating, he couldn't even open his eyes at that point, his hands tense when he physically felt the machine shifting to scan each section. “It's-”

“Deep breath, count and concentrate on your heart.”

“I feel the machine, like... like walking next to a jackhammer. But it's in my head.”

Michael, could hear the voices, without the mechanical speaker noise, “He's not doing good, please tell me you can speed this up.”

“We're trying, he moved so we're doing what we can.”

“Any chance in hell I can get a piece of metal near this thing?”

“Um as long as it's not in this room.”

“I think I got it.” Daredevil's voice sounded over the hateful static speakers, “Count to 30, try to keep your breathing even, concentrate on your heart and breathing, okay?”

Michael nearly nodded, “Okay.”

Michael took a deep breath and started counting, trying to concentrate on his pulse even as it pounded in his ears, he got to 29 before, suddenly a ripple pulsed through the room. It felt like he came up for air, suddenly his chest loosened and he could breathe, could think beyond the repetitive noise of the machine. It sounded again and he could nearly cry at the relief when he felt the ripple again. “Thank you.”

“What was that Michael?”

“Red, he's-he's clearing the room.”

“What?” Tony's steps broke the next ripple, short starbursts disappearing from the neighboring room. “What the fuck are you doing?!”

“Tony whatever he's doing let him keep it up, Michael's calm.”

“He's- he's banging his damn stick on Dummy! Knock it off you're going to dent his arm.”

“I'm not hitting that hard.”

Bruce's voice was amused when Michael heard him over the speaker, “We're almost done, do you think you'll be okay for another 10 minutes?”

“As long as Red's arm holds up.”

“I'm good, Tony's mental state might not though.”

Michael was chuckling as he took a deep breath with the next ripple, this time even being so bold as opening his eyes to let it ripple through the vision of the machine in front of him.

Michael shot out of the door the moment he was set loose to hug Daredevil and grabbing Dummy's arm as he chirped at him, “Thank you both so much.”

He smiled at the cheerful whir sounds as Dummy lifted to pat his shoulder before snapping at Daredevil playfully and rolling back to his station. “Hey it's not my fault he didn't safe word.”

Tony actually had Bruce grabbing him and dragging him back, laughing so hard he had a tint of green, “Let it go Tony, he's a grown bot.”

“Ooooo I'm gonna get you, he's just a baby!”

“It's that the one you made when you were like 10?”

“He's still just a baby.”

“My sarcasm meter must be off today, is he serious?” Michael was shrugging at Daredevil thumbing toward where Bruce was dragging Tony back to the results.

“Knowing Tony? How the fuck should I know. I really just want somewhere quiet and calm.”

“Safe room?”

“Yeah, sounds good.”

-

Michael's head shot up at the voice, Daredevil froze, “Foggy, Foggy, Foggy.”

“Shit,” it was quickly stopped.

“Red, who am I gonna tell? Legally I'm dead.” He waved, “Go ahead and call um back.”

“It's my day job. He knows I'm out today.”

“I don't know about you but if I knew my friend was with a proven serial killer I'd freak if he didn't respond.”

“You have a case for not guilty on grounds of mental defect. Tony and Bruce filled me in a bit. You were acting on instinct, no active human reasoning.” Daredevil shrugged, “Talking with you, you're in your right mind now, once they got you the help you needed.”

“Don't sweet talk me, I'm not legal, go chat up your friend.”

Daredevil rolled his eyes as he held his phone, “I don't know why I didn't shut it off.”

“Want me to put in my headphones?”

“Could you?”

“Sure, hand them over, I think they're on the table.”

Daredevil seemed to relax when Michael didn't react to the snapping he did before he turned away to call his friend back.

-

Michael was smirking at the annoyed look Daredevil was giving as he haphazardly dropped the billy club onto the arm resting close by him, “Do I even want to know?”

He seemed to started the Devil into sitting up, “I have no idea, he won't leave me alone...”

“Okay Jareth.”

Daredevil was the only one he knew that could roll his eyes with his whole head, “He just keeps nudging my club until I hit him with it... I think I've created a monster.”

Michael closed his eyes at the static before Jarvis' voice sounded, “Dummy's actions, I believe would be similar to a human asking for a back rub or a scratch. He enjoys the vibration, it's soothing.”

“If he starts purring I quit,” Michael laughed at Daredevil at the time he raised his arm at the whirring, “There it is, no more 'scratches'.”

“Tony still mad at you?”

“I wouldn't know, the science bros have been held up in the lab all day.”

“Heard anything?”

“I've honestly been trying to nap, it's... busy around here.”

Michael snorted and nodded, “I really should eat.”

“Yes you should.”

“I want to try solid food again.”

“I suggest boneless in that case.”

“Clint makes damn good chicken wings.”

“That's not boneless...”

“I know.”

“If you wanna ask, I won't stop you, just remember what happened last time.”

“Yeah, I know, but I'm doing better tuning out... my noises. Can't even hear my stomach gurgling.”

Daredevil shrugged as he got up and stretched, “It's a start.”

“Progress is still progress.”

“Want your noise canceling?”

“I'll need it for the outside won't I?”

Daredevil shrugged, “Still suggest it for eating.”

“Hmm, burgers?”

“It's boneless, Clint make good burgers too?”

“Oh the best, but it has to be on a grill, he messes up the heat on the stove, never gets it right.”

Daredevil smirked, “That actually sounds good.”

“I know right?” Michael's cheerfulness fell, “I haven't had one since I was a kid... they smell really good though and everyone loves them.”

“Animal blood makes you sick doesn't it?”

“How-”

“I hear talk, remember? Probably better than you at least for now.”

“Yeah, it does.”

“So, well done it is. Come on, let's see if Clint will cook.”

Michael seemed to cheer up as they headed to find the archer.

-

“I really miss video games...” Michael grumbled, wincing when even the low volume game sounds suddenly flooded his vision with ripples as fire was introduced in game.

“Board games? Cards?”

“Double D can't really play those either, can he?”

Peter died, forgetting to pause the game when he turned toward Michael, “You know?”

Michael nodded, “Yeah, he didn't come out and say it but, it's pretty obvious.”

“Yeah well, he's not really, he doesn't mention it a lot.”

“Gotta admit, hell of a racket, too bad he can't get paid for it.”

“He, told me once, he got an inheritance when he hit 18, helped him get through school. There may have been booze involved.”

“Dude!”

“I wasn't the one drinking... He'd ended up answering a call after having some drinks with his buddies, I figured I should help him out, make sure he didn't accidentally trip himself right off a roof.”

“You're such a bro-”

Peter was glaring at him, “I'm going to turn the volume up.”

“I take it back, definitely not a bro, have fun with your game, I'm going to try and watch a movie.”

“Um, bad idea! Morbie wait!”

“Any suggestions for watching movies?”

“Nothing with booming sounds?” Daredevil was sitting, listening to Tony and Bruce chatter behind him.

“Besides that.”

“Michael, I-I don't really know how to help with the hearing vision bleed, I'm... I'm flying blind here, I'm just trying to adapt my experience and see what works for you.”

Michael nudged his shoulder, “That was horrible, but amusing.”

“Thank you.”

“Probably bad to watch a movie then huh?”

“I'd watch something I've seen before, I'd know when to expect sudden volume and sound changes, I'd already be braced for them. And hopefully, it won't cause as much bleed.”

“Good advise, I... honestly can't even remember the last movie I'd watched.”

“Ask Webs.”

Michael blinked at him, “Why would you say that?”

Daredevil waved a hand, “It's... a lot of things, you two just... you read like you've been around each other for years. You, hell what'd Foggy call it, 'dance', you're comfortable around each other, are use to each other, like you've known each other a long time, he'll probably remember the last movie you watched together.”

“You got all that from observing interaction?”

“Your scent is all over each other, well it's fading but it's there, and not... bedroom things-”

“Bedroom things? Not that young...”

“I'm trying to be delicate here. You've been around each other enough your scent merges, compliments each other. Your actions are a bit more clumsy, like you grew up since you've seen each other.”

“Sherlock fucking Holmes over here,” Michael grumbled, “Yeah, we've known each other for a long time. I, I fell off the grid a few years back, he's the one that helped find me and drag me back from the haze.”

“Ask webhead if he can remember what you watched, if anything it should help your brain try to brace for loud noises.”

Daredevil's head kept dipping down, “Hey, go home, get some rest, you've... you've really helped me today, thank you.”

That seemed to wake the Devil up enough to nod, “Yeah, you did really good, I should get going.”

“Leaving already?” Tony's head popped up so quickly, Bruce blinked in mid conversation to look confused at them. “I'll call Happy, where ya headed?”

“Just drop me at the Kitchen, I'll find my way from there.”

“Hey, give me your phone,” Michael was holding out his hand, snatching the phone when it was held out. “That's the number for Jarvis to alert me of calls. Give me a ring sometime, we can work on the focus thing, when you get the chance.”

“Hey Tony, did you get that item I requested?”

Tony blinked at him, “Huh? Oh, hold on, here.”

Daredevil reached back to snag the club Tony chucked at him. “Here, for when the noise gets too much.”

It was weighted different than the one he'd had before, “Really?” This one wasn't designed as a weapon just... a sounding board of sorts.

“Try it out.”

Michael shifted and checked around before tapping it down against the metal leg, the room rippled at the solid tone, he smiled as his vision settled before closing his eyes and hit it harder, that wonderful calm clean note flowed through the room. “Thank you.”

“I figured it could help out if you start getting overstimulated.”

-

Daredevil almost didn't get allowed in the next time they arranged for him to help out, “Jarvis can verify, it's really me...”

“What's with the wardrobe change,” Tony had demanded the moment they finally let him in.

“That was work gear, this is babysitting gear...” Daredevil shrugged his black clad shoulder while tilting his black masked head.

“How do you even... never mind, ya'll are weird. Go find the Bobbsey twins, I think they're in the game room. The kid's been working on keeping his vision straight.”

“Good to know he's doing homework.”

Daredevil tilted his head when the elevator opened, “Jarvis, what's that sound?”

“There are a lot of sounds, you'll need to be more specific Mr. Devil.”

“Is there a cat in here?”

“No, sir, no felines.”

He frowned as he approached the couch, his hand reaching out at the odd low chattering, and rumble, “Is something vibrating?”

It took him a moment to realize, the noises were coming from the couch, was the two boys sprawled on it, asleep. He smirked, “Michael?”

The chattering stopped with a snort, “Huh? What?”

He was grinning at the purring, “Peter.”

The purring stopped with a snort, “Huh? When did I fall asleep?”

Daredevil couldn't help the laugh, “You two are adorable.”

“Wha-” Both boys were blinking at him and rubbing their eyes.

“Have Jarvis play back the tape. How've you been Michael?”

The boy seemed to be watching him before he yawned wide, “Better than you it looks like... your back is bleeding.”

“Shit,” he spun and reached for the wound he'd purposefully had been ignoring.

“Let's get you to the lab, Bruce can have that patched up in no time.”

“Rough night Double D?”

“Something like that. Would you believe it was an accident?”

Peter yawned, “Uh huh, sure.”

“I would,” Michael mumbled as he stood to head to medical with Daredevil.

“Wait, what'd I miss?”

“His heart stayed calm, he isn't lying about it being an accident. What happened?”

“Got knocked back into a knife at the bar... Josie was cutting something and set it down point toward the stools.”

“Sounds like a real party.” He got a shrug and blinked when Michael stopped and closed his eyes, “Can you, lead?”

“Ears waking up?”

“Uh huh, not easy when I first get up.”

“I got ya.”

“Thanks.”

“What'd the kid do this time?”

“You're a regular?”

“I'm a freak of genetic splicing, Horns, what do you expect?”

Daredevil grinned, “It's my fault we're here. Michael said I was bleeding, it's a little difficult patching back wounds alone.”

“Get over here, take off your shirt...”

Bruce was rolling his eyes as he grabbed some basic first aid gear and blinked at the wound. “How'd you say you got this again?”

“Got knocked into a knife sitting on a bar.”

“That the official or off the record version?”

“Off the record? The bartender might have been holding the knife... She didn't mean to hurt me, I just got knocked back and there it was.”

“You sure?”

“Yes, Banner, I'm sure, she dropped it the moment it happened, I played it off when she was panicking and pulled it out quick enough she thought she just poked me with it.”

“You left that part out earlier,” Michael was glaring at him.

“The kid doesn't need to know about it. It'll heal.”

“This needs stitches.”

Michael glared harder at Daredevil's shrug, “Yeah, I figured it did.”

“You came to see a fucking vampire with an open, deep wound... Are you outa your fucking mind?! What if I'd been thirsty? What if the spell faded or the mutation altered and I'd gone feral again?!”

“I would have been the target then, not innocent people.”

Michael actually growled, Daredevil and Bruce both tensed, “God you're such a fucking martyr!”

“Michael?”

“I'm pissed, but I'm fine... He, he caught my attention but I didn't have an urge to bite or anything. I'm just pissed he'd put himself in that predicament willingly.”

“You're over stimulated,” Daredevil said as he focused on not reacting to Bruce suturing his back.

“Shouldn't have played video games, wanted to go out for a walk but they wanted me to be able to have the world not turn into an acid trip before I got outside the building.”

“Acid trip?”

“Yeah, like, melty and blurry and just fucking weird.”

He got a headtilt, smirk, before the Devil nodded, “Yeah, I guess that's a good comparison.”

“You get that?”

“Mine's... it's more like hallucination than acid trip. I'll suddenly know there's something in front of me then I'll realize it was just a loud noise that my brain is translating to my senses. Really annoying during angry rush hour.”

“I, haven't had that happen. I can sort of see it when it's distant but it's just, it lights up the area around it even if it can blur my vision.”

“Have you gotten to the point that you've found what tones makes your vision worse?”

“Sudden sharp tones are like fireworks or starbursts, deep resonating tones are like ripples in a pond. Electronics sound like static, Jarvis has been working with me to see if we can help get his voice to a tone that doesn't make my vision fuzz. We haven't found it yet.”

“He'd probably have to use a human voice, the speaker will still cause a bit of static but it won't be as sharp as his normal electronic tone Tony programmed him with.”

“I'm starting to get use to it... It's just annoying when,” Michael waved his hand and shut his eyes when his vision seemed to waver. “What was that?”

“Tony dropped something large... 4 floor up?”

Bruce dropped what he was doing and grabbed a phone to chatter into and to get an update, “He is creeped out but he just set a car down that was on a jack.”

Michael was glaring at Daredevil's smirk, “You knew that didn't you?”

He got a shrug, “Maybe.”

“You know getting Bruce panicky is not the sanest idea right?”

“I couldn't help myself, you did ask, I wasn't going to mention it.”

Michael noticed the headtilt and frowned, “What'd I miss.”

“Put your headphones in.”

“Why?”

Daredevil waved a hand at him, “Trust me, put them in.”

Michael, now that he was paying attention closed his eyes and caught the sound of something striking wood, he whined when he heard the sound of tearing flesh and snapping joints and scrambled to get his headphones in. “Coulda just said someone's butchering something.”

Daredevil shrugged as he turned to chat with Bruce when his back was bandaged. Michael was just frowning at the floor, “Can you let me know when they're finished with butchering?”

They both looked over to him and Daredevil gave him a thumbs up, “Thanks.”

“Any problem areas since I left?”

Michael blinked at the hologram in front of him when he opened his eyes, “No, other than the perma acid trip when something repetitive is playing.”

“You were playing video games earlier thought?”

“I'm working on it, it's still difficult, we have to keep the volume nearly muted, Peter was helping me by playing while I tried to keep my vision straight.”

“Any issues with sudden movement causing vision blurring?”

Michael blinked when that text was a different color, “Nah, Bruce, not unless sound is involved.”

“I want to do a vision test at some point.”

“Sure Bruce, when and where?”

“Hey, everything going okay? Double D and Morbie's been gone for awhile.” Michael blinked at the red text and turned to look at the door, Peter's head was poking in. “Oh, he's got his headphones in? Everything okay?”

“Yeah Parker, just... someone's butchering an animal in the kitchen.”

Peter winced, “Yeah I guess that'd be bad to hear.”

Michael nodded and laid back on the couch close by. “What do heartbeats sound like to you?”

He blinked at Daredevil's text and shrugged, “It, sounds like... pulsing, lungs, spine, chest wall... It gets really loud the more I pay attention to it. Then it's just pounding.”

“Wait, you can see inside people just from having a pulse?” Peter was perched on the back of the couch, staring at him when he opened his eyes to see the text.

“Yeah, it's... it's what freaked me out the most when everything started getting so loud.”

“It gets easier, once you can filter out pulses until you want to hear them,” Daredevil's text as Peter turned back to shrug at him.

“I guess I'm lucky, I usually have to be really close and it's not really a sound, it's a feeling, like when I put my hands on a person I can tell they're okay,” Peter's red text showed up before he dropped back on the couch and nudged Michael to share. The impact caused a ripple through his vision as he sat up, grumbling. “You okay?”

“Impact... it can blur my vision too.”

“Probably a vibration response, you have that problem too sometimes don't you?”

Peter shrugged, “Yeah, it's not my vision though, it just, stuns me.”

“How's the other thing been going?” Daredevil's hand on his shoulder made him jump when he wasn't paying attention to texts.

“Huh? Oh, um... hold on, don't pull away.”

Peter laughed so hard he fell off the couch as Michael reached to try to relax enough for Daredevil to get his hand off his shoulder. “I guess don't spook Morbie?”

“This is your fault... Shut it Parker.”

Michael blinked at the text starting to type out in green before it went away and turned to see Bruce talking but no text response. Daredevil shrugged in response and said something back that seemed to make Bruce tense before Peter responded, still no text showed up. “Um, really don't like being blind here.”

Daredevil started laughing so hard Michael could feel the sound waves hitting him, making him have to concentrate on keeping his vision clear before the text finally showed up. “Don't worry, Bruce was just concerned how I knew who Peter was.”

“Oh, okay?”

“He's aware of how well my echolocation is now is all.”

“Oh, okay,” Michael tilted his head when he realized Daredevil was listening to something, “Is it safe?”

He got a nod and he pulled out the headphones, “Thank god. Hate being deaf, it's okay when it gets bad but then it just gets really creepy.”

“Oh, trust me, I know.”

Michael frowned, “You've lost your hearing?”

“Gun shot to the head, concussion, I missed swelling and it deafened me for awhile while it healed. Not a fun day.”

Peter was mortified, “You got shot in the head?”

“It, it was a glancing blow, glanced off my helmet, caused some scalp bleeding from the helmet denting inward cutting me up but the bullet never penetrated.”

“You were shot in the head! Why, how, when?!”

Daredevil stumbled, arm swinging as Peter tackled him to hug him. “I'm okay, clinging spiderly... I'm fine.”

“That is not okay! Why didn't you call me?! Why did I not know this before now?!”

“Inside voice please,” Michael whined as Peter's sharp tone kept shattering across his vision. “I don't like that tone.”

“Peter, I'm fine, it was before I knew you even existed.”

“That is not okay.”

“Peter please calm down, you're voice is like glass breaking.”

“Sorry, sorry, right, inside voice, calm voice.”

“Thank you.”

Michael jerked away from the tap on his shoulder, Bruce was holding out a glass of water, “Thank you.”

“Deep breaths.”

“Yeah, calm down.”

Michael frowned as Daredevil called for the time to Jarvis, “8pm sir.”

“What's up?”

“You wanted to go out for a walk? I'm not in civis so it's going to be an interesting walk, but if you're still interested... bring the headphones.”

“We can?”

“I'll get changed,” Peter bolted so fast Michael's eyes kept wincing closed at the starbursts patting across his vision.

“Bring your headphones, and no being tough, speak up when it's too much.” Michael smiled as he rushed to get his shoes, “Bring a coat too, it's cold.”

“Will do!”

Daredevil was so confused when the boys had Jarvis relay for him to meet them on the helipad. “Alright, what are we doing up here?”

“Well, not a civilian walk right?”

“There's... I can't make that jump.”

“We can carry you!”

Daredevil groaned at spider-man jumping around, “You can carry me?”

“Yeah, just to the neighboring buildings. We, we don't want to get too far from the tower.”

Michael shuffled and Daredevil's head tilted so hard as he lifted off the ground, “I can carry you if you don't wanna swing with spidey.”

“You... you fly?”

“Yeah, you didn't know?”

Daredevil shrugged, “Not cleared for medical history, I'm just helping you with your current condition.”

“Oh, yeah, I can levitate, um, do you want me to carry you? I'm really strong.”

“As much as I'd take you up on that offer, I know you still get disoriented and there's a passenger plane that leaves out of New York at 9, I'm not going to have us both in the air when you hear it take off.”

“Okay, looks like you're piggybacking.”

Daredevil grumbled as Spider-man bounced and scooped him up, “Hold on Red.”

Michael followed after, quickly touching down when he found the neighboring roof, “Wait, did we tell Stark?”

“Bruce knows, Stark will know and Jarvis is aware you're with me and Spidey. It should be all good.”

Daredevil was helpful, a little stumbly when he'd suddenly grab for Michael's head and shove it against his chest from time to time, just saying “Focus.”

Michael wasn't sure he wanted to know why, even though it helped when his vision kept distorting oddly right before he did this. “Noise, Whining, Static.”

“Put your headphones in. Now.”

Michael was fumbling with the headphones, jamming them in his ears while Daredevil stood by tense, as if waiting, “What is it?”

He got a lifted hand pointing toward the distance, raising up until he could finally see the distant flickering of airplane lights. “Oh, the plane?”

Daredevil nodded, Spider-man signed something but Michael didn't know sign, they hadn't gotten that far yet. All he could do was shrug as Spider-man lifted his mask enough to mouth at him 'early'. “Oh, okay, got it. Any idea how long until I can take these out?”

Spider-man was watching Daredevil as his head kept tilting farther and farther as time went on, saying something to him. Michael understood a tap to the chest and head shake and pointing at ears regardless of if it was sign, Spidey couldn't hear it anymore. Daredevil was still paying attention, Michael's hand was caught when he was trying to take one earpiece out to test the water, he just got a head shake. Spidey was getting antsy, tilting his head and rambling, trying to figure out what was going on. He stilled, Michael saw Daredevil's mouth moving, “Guys, what's going on?”

Daredevil made a circle movement with his hand, grabbing his shoulder and pointing back to the tower. “But, we're doing good, why do we need to go back? It's just a plane, just let me know when I can take the earpiece out.”

Daredevil's head tilted and he covered Michael's ears when he tried to reach again, shaking his head and gritting his teeth. “No,” mouthed clear as day.

Spidey shrank, frowning, holding a hand up in a sign Michael didn't know and mouthing “Dad,” pointing behind him.

“Fuck's sake! I just want to go for a goddamn walk! Stark, fuck off, because of you I can't even risk taking my earphones out!”

Tony looked pissed when the suit let him out, Michael just smiled and pointed to his ears, shaking his head when he looked like he was about to yell. “Bruce knew what we were doing, I'm with two fully capable super heroes, Jarvis was even aware of my location, I'm in full view of the fucking tower. All it would take to incapacitate me is a fucking scream right now so it's not like I even could attack someone if I did. What have I done wrong this time?!”

Tony seemed stunned. “Fuck this.” Michael took off, bee lining for the tower, not even bothering to wait out the all clear to have a full conversation. “I'm not here,” he mumbled when he settled against a dark corner, Not even bothering to go inside.

A small pop issued from the earpieces still in his ears, “Would you like me to alert you before sunrise?”

“I like that voice, Jarvis, it doesn't make static.”

“That didn't answer my question, sir.”

“I don't care.”

“Sir, the sun will be rising in ten minutes,” Michael jerked awake, flailing before his hands caught on the wall, skittering up to the corner he'd fallen asleep in. “Again sir, the sun will be rising in ten minutes.”

“I said I don't care, Jarvis,” he shifted higher, curling up in the still dark corner and tried to go back to sleep.

Michael was having a weird dream about watching the circulatory system, images fading in and out, blurring into and through lungs and heart before fading into the farther extremities. A pop flooded the dream with a weird vision audio representation, “Sir, I'm sorry but it's gotten to the point of hazardous, I must alert Sir of your location.”

Michael shrugged off the voice, grumbling when the dream faded to black and shifted farther away from the warmth creeping in on him, not interested in waking.

The dream was back, this time it was faster, the images of blood trailing all the way down to his feet and into his hands, it made him smile in his dream. It was shifting, no longer the still image, this one moved, arms and legs shifting, showing movement changing the way the system worked. Lungs were heaving, making him frown, exercise or distress? He wasn't sure which caused them to work that hard but he frowned when the image faded and didn't return. He finally opened his eyes when his shoulder was jerked, he panicked and drifted away from the panicked faced now looking to be yelling. He was back in the lab, confused. “What happened? How'd I get here?”

When Michael finally removed his headphones he winced at Parker's voice, “I told you not to send DD away! He could have found him hours ago! He, he could have, the sun was almost to him when I found him.”

“Inside voices,” Michael whined and covered his ears.

“I'm sorry,” Tony's voice was soft, “I, I overreacted... again.”

“You're good at that...”

“But-” Bruce's hand slammed onto Tony's arm so hard Michael's vision blurred for a moment, “Just, please tell us where you are if you're going to be out around dawn.”

“We worry,” Bruce said as Tony rubbed his probably bruising arm.

Peter's shoulder were shaking a little as he tried not to laugh, “Okay Mom, I will.”

Tony was confused, Bruce just rolled his eyes and laughed, “Now, how was the trip?”

“Wasn't much of one, couldn't identify some of the sounds that were messing with my vision, Red kept just having me focus on his heart while we moved away from them. Then the plane happened and I was stuck with my headphones in.”

Peter just shrugged at the headtilts he was getting, “Don't look at me, I have no idea, I couldn't pick it up.”

“How good is your hearing?”

“Well I don't have echolocation... I can tell if I'm in an enclosed space sure or if something is near me in the dark but it's not like full out bat sonar.”

“How good is Daredevil's hearing?”

Peter laughed, “Dude could hear a butterfly fart... a mile away and probably tell you what it had for lunch, 3 days before.”

Michael was laughing so hard it devolved into an odd chattering that illuminated the room until he couldn't help but shut his eyes. “I don't want that ability thank you very much.”

“Pretty sure neither does he.”

-

Tony was glaring daggers at the guy that showed up asking for Michael, “Who the fuck are you? He has no living relatives on record.”

“What a coincident, neither do I.”

Michael's head tilted toward the voice, “Parker, was this your idea?”

“Um, kinda? Hey, he volunteered, I just, didn't complain too much.”

“It's like noon, why is he here now? He usually doesn't come in until after dark?”

“Probably why he's in civis,” Peter shrugged as they headed to meet then, “Just, you don't know him... he's a friend of Red's okay?”

“Fine... Gotchya.”

“Surprised you realized it was him by voice, rooms away.”

“I'm surprised Stark hasn't figured it the fuck out yet. Has he been drinking?”

“Nah, sober.”

“Wow, no excuse then.” Michael blinked at the glasses sitting on the nose of the smiling man, “Hello, I'm Michael.”

“Matt, we have a mutual friend, he mentioned you wanted to go for a normal walk, thought this would be easier on everyone.”

“It's noon.”

“It's also raining, it's not supposed to clear up, just a walk around the block if you're not comfortable. Think of it as a stress test.”

“Why not, I've got my headphones with me. What ya say Parker? Up for a walk?”

Tony was looking to blow up, Peter just nudged him, “He's cool Mr. Stark, don't worry. Double D will be around he just can't exactly be out in the open without outing that we're not exactly normal now can he?”

“You're a lawyer, right?”

“Yes, sir,” Matt was smirking as he held his cane close.

“Then you know exactly how many problems I can cause for you if you don't get these kids back safe.”

“It's just a walk Mr. Stark, I don't see any issues coming up.”

“Just... pay attention if they say it's clearing up. Michael has a sever-sun allergy.”

“Will do.”

Michael was smirking as they headed out, automatically reaching to grab Matt's arm when the street chatter made his vision flutter, “Thought you said it was raining?”

“It is, there's a lull, it'll pick up soon, the temperature shifted.” The umbrella opened above them about the time the heavens opened up on them.

“Wow, okay, didn't realize you could feel temperature change.”

Peter was on his other side, “You doing okay?”

“This, this is really weird to see... I thought it was an acid trip before, this is something else.”

“Each drop illuminates a different part of the world. It, it's overwhelming sometimes.” Matt finally started tapping his cane and the world filled with tiny bursts and static rippled with each tap, clearing the static as they moved forward.

“Wow.”

“You're supposed to be concentrating on separating your hearing and vision.”

“But this... It's so much easier with my eyes closed,” Peter yelped when Michael suddenly pulled him closer, nearly missing hitting a pole.

Matt was smirking, “Least you have the excuse.”

“They don't know if I'll ever be able to separate my vision and hearing, my echolocation lights my vision center up every time I hear something loud.”

“So they interpreted the FMRI?”

“Yeah, that's why they were a little miffed the other day about the walk with Red.”

“I guess we'll have to work with adapting to that then. I just, I'm a little clueless how we can.”

“I'll just work on filtering out the small noises, it's been helping, it hasn't been over riding my vision that much anymore.”

“Peter's stomach is growling...”

“We skipped lunch okay?!”

“He's not wrong, I'm starving. Anyone want to get lunch?”

“Aren't you worried nanny bot maker will show up?”

Michael smirked, “Dummy still misses his 'back rubs'.”

Matt groaned as he rubbed under his glasses, “Why did I ever do that?”

“To keep me from going insane in the machine, thank you, that helped so much.”

“I guess it was worth it then... I wonder how long until I should tell Stark he likes it because the vibrations move a piece of dust he's got stuck in one of the circuit boards at his base away from the connections.”

Matt had to stop when Michael did, “What?”

“He's got an itch, he just can't reach to scratch it basically.”

Peter was snickering, “Should we tell him?”

Michael smiled, “I'm... debating.”

Matt smirked, “I'm not going to be the deciding party here. How about pizza, kids like pizza right?”

“Is water wet?”

Matt snickered as they headed into the pizza place. Michael winced at the noise, Matt instantly pulled his head to his chest, “Focus.”

Peter looked worried, “Should we order to go?”

“That's up to Michael.”

“No, I'm good, just, didn't expect to walk into it. How do you deal with it?”

“I'm use to it, I just... I've been shielding you from it. Pick something to concentrate on.”

Peter took up Matt's place as Michael's focus point while he asked if they had a braille menu, “You don't have to stay, first time out after... everything is- it's way overwhelming.”

“I, I don't think I could eat here.”

“We'll go then, eat at the park or something. Away from all the sounds.”

“What do you boys want?”

“Um, nothing that crunches?”

“Pan or deep dish?”

“They don't have deep dish here,” Peter supplied before Matt's fingers found the offered dough types.

“Pan it is, toppings?”

“Nothing spicy, Morbie's stomach won't do good with that.”

“Sausage count as spicy for him?”

“Not usually, Morbie you eaten here before?”

“Not this one.” He blinked at the blur coming towards them, shifting so his head was against Peter's chest to help clear his vision. “Sorry, bad day.”

“I understand, I have some pre-made sausage if you want to try some?” It took him a moment to realize it was one of the workers coming from the back to hold out a toothpick sample for him.

“Oh, thank you.”

“Verdict?” Matt's hand was on his shoulder as he tried it, “Do you know what else you want on it?”

“It's good, not too spiced, um olives?”

“You good for mushrooms today or is that a no?” Michael flinched at Peter's question, “That's a no, just sausage and olives.”

“Make it 3 pies, growing boys,” Matt smiled as he shifted Michael so he could shift back to the calmer heartbeat, “Focus.”

“Focusing,” he smiled as he moved so Matt could get his wallet. “Your bills are folded.”

“I can't read print, it's a quick way for me to know what they are.”

“Getting change must be a bitch.”

Matt smirked as the cashier handed him his bills, telling him what they were, “Sometimes, but most are nice enough to let me know what they are so I can fold them.”

“That's nice.”

“Yeah, it is, want to sit outside to wait?”

Peter shooed him, “Not really but Parker is shooing me, it's less annoying to just do it or he'll bug me.”

Matt smirked, “You good Peter?”

“Yup! I'll get the pizzas and meet you outside when they're ready.”

-

Matt stopped in mid bite, “Michael, is it bothering you?”

Michael shrugged, “The rain is making my heart weird...”

Matt smirked, really wishing he'd vetoed the boy's idea to have lunch under a gazebo in the park and just went back to the tower “Sound can effect the way you heartbeat is when it's loud enough. It's why they warn people with heart conditions not to stand near speakers. Try to pull back away from the rain, let your hearing go 'fuzzy'.”

“The world goes 'fuzzy' when I try to do that. The rain keeps messing up my vision.”

“Then focus on my heartbeat. I'm use to the rain, so it shouldn't effect it.”

“Don't wanna see how you've fucked yourself up this week, thanks.”

Matt laughed, “Want to put your earphones in then?”

“No, I want to learn.”

“Want to head back to the tower? Controlled introduction?”

“Yeah, that might be best.”

“Alright, Peter, pack it up,” Matt shifted to usher Michael over so he could have a lead and point of focus during the walk back.

They both glanced back at Peter rushing after them with a pizza slice still hanging out of his mouth, “Wha? Hungry.”

They laughed as they walked back.

Matt waved off Tony the moment they got into the building, “Over stimulation, back down until he's settled.”

“Did he forget his headphones? I made those specifically-”

“No, he chose not to use them. We're settling and calming and then we're eating pizza.” Matt shrugged as Michael slipped his headphones in and sighed as they road the elevator up. “The rain got too loud to him, he didn't want to use the focus technique we use. So, let him settle in before getting updates, he's still hungry.”

Michael shifted his headphones into his pocket before flinching at Matt setting his hand on his shoulder, he smiled as he heard the calm repeating tap of the cane as he let himself be led down the hall. “Thanks.”

“For what?”

“Just, everything.”

“Just don't tell Stark that, he might get jealous.”

Michael smirked, shifting when the chuckles and tapping blurred his vision, “Sorry.”

“It's not like I'm unable to stay on my feet. Don't worry about it kid.”

“You, you learned all this too right? You weren't born like this.”

“No, I was 9 when I had this dropped on me.”

“Was it a natural mutation or was it caused like mine?”

“It was caused, but not like yours it was an accident. Took my sight, amplified everything else.”

“Must be better, not having your sight getting fucked over by your hearing.”

Matt smirked, “Just because my sight can't be doesn't mean other things can't mess with me. I have this habit of stopping before I touch some things. Specifically extreme temperatures. They, it's like, it's suddenly right in front of me or I'm already touching it, when the temperature changes, took awhile to get use to that.”

“Oh, so when you're reaching for food you're 'looking' for it?”

“Sort of, I'm making sure I'm not already at it so I don't knock it off. It's a real pain after a few drinks, everything gets kind of muffled, I guess like your vision blurs when you're trying to listen and look at the same time.”

“How did you get use to it?”

Matt shrugged, “Practice.”

Michael blinked and waved at Clint, “Hi Clint, this is Matt, he's helping me today.”

Clint squinted at him and held up a finger, “Hold on, I took my aides out for the gym.”

Michael gave a thumbs up as Clint shuffled in his bag to get his aides in, “Welcome back to the evil land of sound...”

Matt snickered, “He's having a rough day.”

Clint was smiling and shaking his head, “Yeah, it feels that way sometimes. So, what were you saying?”

“This is Matt, Red asked him to help out with the civi side of training my ears.”

“So he's clearanced?”

“Yeah, he's cleared, at least as much as Daredevil is at least.”

Clint was watching him but Matt played it cool, just staying put and waiting for Michael to nudge them on, “Can I talk with you for a sec? Just verifying some specifics on clearance if you don't mind Matt?”

“Fine by me, I'll wait here, unless Jarvis wouldn't mind directing me to the dinning area that Peter ran off to.”

“Mr. Parker has, as he put it, retreated to the gaming room. If that is an acceptable meeting area.” Matt's head tilted at Jarvis' voice, “Michael says this voice isn't as 'staticy' as the rest, so I'm inclined to use it while he's present.”

“Oh, I thought- very good replica voice Jarvis, I thought a human had joined us.”

“Thank you sir. Now the directions. Forward 2 doors on the right. I can alert once you've reached it if you'd like.”

“I'll manage, thank you again.”

Matt signaled to Peter to stay quiet when he entered the room, tilting his ear back to the two. “What's up?”

“Clint is making sure I'm in the clear with Michael.”

“Oh?”

Matt grinned and shook his head, “He warned him I'm a lawyer... and not to say anything incriminating.”

“Oh,” Peter's voice fell, “What'd he say?”

“He told me the first thing I told him about him being a 'proven serial killer'. Clint, his heart rate is off but it settled, they're heading this way.”

“What'd you say about it?” Matt just held up a finger to his lips as the door opened.

“So the kid says you're alright.”

“Good to know he likes me.”

“I didn't say all that,” Michael tossed a pillow at him and Peter snatched it up about the time Matt tensed, stopping it's path, while Michael panicked, “Sorry, use to people knowing when I'm throwing something at them.”

“It didn't hit me, must be a bad shot.”

“Oh I'm throwing another one, don't catch it Parker.”

Matt was laughing too hard to even bother tensing when Peter tapped the pillow he held on his head. “At least that time you hit me.”

Matt's head tilted once they got settled and the boys were eating their fill, “Michael, everything okay?” It was lip smacking that got his attention, it wasn't the normal 'enjoying something' smack or the 'clean drips' smack, it was repetitive. He heard the gulp, “Stomach upset?”

“No, just... I'm going to get some water,” Michael nearly floated out of the room with how quick he got up.

“Any one have an ETA on him needing blood?”

“Um, they estimated best case at a week.”

“How long ago was that?”

Clint shrugged, “I'm shrugging here man, cause I don't know...”

“Jarvis, can you keep an eye on him, make sure he's not losing control?”

“It would appear Michael is fine, he's gone to get water as he's stated.”

“Just, keep an eye on him please, alert us if he starts panicking once he's gotten through drinking his water.”

“His heart rate is elevated, but he's returning with a glass of water.”

“Has he already drank any?”

“Several glasses worth.”

“Warn Bruce.”

“Dr. Banner has already been informed. I believe he's on his way to 'check in' just to be sure.”

Michael returned and settled back to his food, “You still doing okay?”

“Yeah, I was just really thirsty, I don't even remember when the last time I had just water was, probably just dehydration.”

“Do you know how long it's been since you were Thirsty?”

“Yeah, I've still got a few days before it should be a problem, if it is. They're still not sure how much Spidey's blood has effected me.”

“Wait, spidey's blood? What'd I miss?” Peter winced at Clint's voice, he wasn't supposed to be completely in the loop, but Spider-man was, so he was trying to remember what all 'he' knew and what would be shrugged at.

“They tried Spider-man's blood to help with the mutation. It, it caused a secondary mutation, that's why they're hoping it at least gave him longer between feedings.”

“Just, if I touch you and get stuck, don't pull away, I'm still trying to get use to the wall crawling thing. And the echolocation seems to have been triggered by the secondary mutation, or it could be puberty settling my body into its final form so who the fuck knows.”

Michael was confused when Bruce knocked and tried to sneak through the door, “Hey, Michael, how was the trip?”

Michael smirked, “Ever seen rain as a thousand blinding starbursts a second?”

Bruce blinked and tipped his eyes up before smirked and dropping his head, “Maybe.”

Matt snickered, “He did very well for his first time out.”

“That's good, I was wondering about a blood sample since it's been several days since we checked.”

“Sure doc, you bring the kit with you?”

“No, I wanted to wait for you to get settled before a full work up, so if you're feeling up to it come down to the lab any time.”

“Sure, I'll head down after lunch settles.”

Matt was still with them when he went down to the lab, Tony was antsy, fingers fiddling with the mock billy club Daredevil had left with Michael the last time around. “What's up?”

“I hope your friend doesn't mind, I modified it, I saw how much Matt's cane helped you focus sometimes and this well it's not exactly the best thing to carry around in the open,” Michael caught it when it was tossed to him. “Wait your fingers, just, twist the top.”

Matt stumbled back when Michael twisted it and it extended noisily, “It's a cane?”

“I know you're not blind, but your vision can mess up really bad with the echo thing, I figured it can help, at least until we get all that settled.” Tony let out a oof when Michael tackled him in a hug. “Easy, not all of us are indestructible.”

“Thank you, this... this is much easier to keep near and focus on when I can't have an obvious weapon on me.”

Tony patted him carefully, while shooting Bruce a 'help me' look, Peter was bouncing while Matt just smiled. “Yeah well, it was nothing.” Michael was softly tapping the cane while Bruce took the samples he needed, happy to not have to worry about the beeping or electronic whirring in the background and able to just focus on the repetitive taps.

Matt finally called it a day when the boys had passed out, rambling and playing board games while Michael randomly tapped the cane when something got too much for him. He smiled when he asked Tony if he'd mind showing him out. “Jarvis is fully capable-”

“I wanted to thank you, for doing that for him. I didn't know about the FMRI results until the middle of the trip. I, we, have been helping him but not as effectively as we can, not knowing that it wasn't a case of misinterpretation but that now his eyes and ears are actually linked. I don't know how well we can help him but we will keep trying. If you don't mind the visits.”

“Gotta admit, even if you all are a pain in the ass, you're still helping the kid... I'm wondering if I should start a mentor program. Would be a good excuse, hell it'd be a good thing all around.”

“That's your business Mr. Stark, just... remember, not all are good men or women.”

“Trust me, I know. Well, looks like I have at least one. I'll fax the papers to your office, wait you'd need a braille copy. Do you have a braille printer? Don't worry about it I'll have them sent over once the paperwork is ready.”

“Wait, what?”

“I'm going to pay you for all the help you and your friend has done for him. He might not be able to show up or catch a check on record but you can. I'm sure you're honest enough to pay him his share.”

“I couldn't do that.”

“Just, think of it this way, consider it client confidentiality. Michael's that is not mine. Though you will be severely limited on floor access but I don't see you the type to snoop. NDA of course.”

Matt smirked, “Of course.”

“The kid is going to need legal counsel, once all this is settled and put to rest. He'll, legally he's 6 feet under. And a killer. Even if-”

“I'm already aware of that.”

“Exactly, so, NDA at the least?”

“If I sign an NDA, as his counsel, I'm unable to disclose anything after it's been signed, not the best for his legal counsel.”

“So, you'll do lawyer stuff for him?”

“Legally, I can't, he is dead, and a minor.”

“His 18th is coming up...”

“Legally he is still dead, I may be able to represent his wishes- but I believe that's only counsel instated by legal guardian or estate.”

“This is more complicated than I thought isn't it?”

“A bit. It seems you may have some homework Mr Stark, as for me, I have court in the morning,” Matt held out a card, “You know other ways to reach me and Michael has my private number if you need it.”

“I hate homework.”

“It's a worthy cause.”

-

Michael was in a state of shock at the findings of his test, “It's...”

“It's not perfect, your preexisting condition is effecting it, but-”

“It's stabilized, Spidey's healing factor stabilized it?”

“You do have deterioration, you do still have the original condition, it is still a factor-”

“But Spidey's healing is kicking in when it's to the point... It stabilizes it.”

“We don't know how long it will stay this way.”

“Are we going to do weekly check or are we checking daily until we find the low points and high points?”

Bruce blinked at the tears streaming down the boy's face as he stared at him with those blood red eyes. “We, we shouldn't risk daily testing, not on large samples, we're unsure how much blood loss can effect the stability.”

“So, weekly? Or are we pushing it longer? Bi-weekly, monthly? No that's not smart all it takes is one bad event to completely ruin the balance. Weekly, we'll find out by next week if there's a low point in the recovery. Illness might effect it too but I can't remember catching anything, even when- ugh too many data points!”

“Breathe, breathe and enjoy it, we'll take care of the data points. Just, stay away from sharp things okay? Blood loss is likely a massive trigger for an Incident.”

“Wait, what about the transplants? Does that mean we're not going to-”

“Until we figure out the details of this, we aren't doing a fucking thing, you understand? This is a breakthrough, we do not need this fucked up because we dropped you a few pints trying to tamper with something already being effectively dealt with.”

Bruce was tacked, physically lifted off the ground when Michael scooped him up, “Thank you!”

“Easy, bad idea to scare the shit outa the one holding a rage monster.”

“I could kiss you and Hulk, both,” Bruce blinked, green fading as he was set down to have the kid smooch his cheek, “I've gotta tell Peter! Thank you again Dr Banner!”

Peter was just sitting in the chair, minding his own damn business, half asleep eating a piece of toast when suddenly he was tumbling across the kitchen, “What the fuck!”

“Language,” was called from the next room while Peter was trying to shove his attacker off him.

“Dude, what the hell?!”

“I'm free,” Peter finally stopped wrestling, blinking as Michael curled around him, sobbing, “Your blood worked, I'm free.”

Michael could care less about the soft popping he heard when Peter hugged him back.

-

Matt was not amused at the very large books set on his desk, “Please tell me those are my braille copies?”

“No these are the original, we haven't gotten around to getting them all in braille, we do have the braille medical charts though.” Tony was at least nice, “I've got a reader for you so you can read them but it's going to take us some time translating this... jigsaw puzzle of private memoirs.”

“Ramblings of a mad man or desperate man?”

“Starts out desperate and gets worse.”

“And the dude did all this to his kid?” Tony was starting to like Foggy, “Nope, not starting with that one,” Tony had to agree there, he knew that book's contents. “Where'd you get all this?”

“The estate. Seems the good doctor does in fact still have an estate, it's staying as an estate until Michael had been verified deceased.” Tony shrugged, “I may have been able to bring up legal representation for things such as contents, possible ways to break the clause of the estate. If there's any way to break the terms of release on it, then the estate would revert to the estate holder.”

“And that would be?”

“Technically, currently, it's Michael. Until verified, he's the legal recipient when he turns 18, until then it's currently hold frozen by the last hospital he worked for.”

“St. Jude's? Huh, that's a lot of zeros if they can verify Michael's dead,” Foggy lifted the paper up, “You can't see it buddy but Jesus Christ. Is that a typo?”

“Nope,” Tony frowned, “Legally, Michael has been declared deceased, he's been missing for several years.”

“How has the estate not been released to the current holder?”

Matt waved a braille sheet he was skimming, smirking, “He literally named Dr. Banner as an example of “Legally dead” is not proof of deceased.”

“God, how old are we?”

Matt was chuckling, “Okay, so, we get Michael legally Alive and this is the end of it?”

“If Michael becomes legally alive we have several more problems. Only one of which the DNA changes making it impossible to match to listed references.”

“Fingerprints?”

“We're not sure if those changed, we don't have his print card from his 'missing' case. Not to mention IF his DNA matches or not, he gets in the system he pops up on potentially hundreds of “vampire killings” victims.”

Matt groaned and rocked back in his chair, “I'm going to need more coffee.”

“Second that.”

“I'll start the pot.”

Matt was scouring the medical records while Foggy was reading out the father's medical log to see what matched the world's knowledge on the boy's past when he tilted his head at the sound, “What's wrong buddy?”

A ball slammed down hard, knocking the wall and bouncing toward the door, Michael skidded to a stop as he grabbed it, “Good day?”

Michael was shrugging, “I, I'm not using my eyes today, been concentrating on just making sense of the echolocation so hopefully my brain can just sync the two images and let me not deal with vision impairment.”

“Sounds like you're doing good then.”

“I chased echos down the wrong hallway, twice, how the hell is that good?”

Matt chuckled, “Better than what I did.”

“Yeah well, some days, it's just easier without...”

Matt shrugged while Foggy nudged him, tense, “We're, we're working on getting you back alive.”

“Oh? How's that looking? I see a whole lot of problems going on there.”

Matt rolled his eyes at the second nudge, “This is Foggy, my partner.”

Foggy grabbed his arm when Michael finally opened his eyes, “Oh, you're Foggy, nice to put a face with a name, I'm Michael... You're heart is really fast, I'm sorry, I'll leave.”

Foggy was confused, “Wait, don't, it's just. Conclusion from incomplete info.”

“Trust me, I don't even want to be in a room with me, I understand.”

“Wait hold on, come sit down.” Matt smirked at a chatter when Michael shut his eyes, “What's that noise?”

“It's him, he's spliced with vampire bat, that's why he's in this mess.”

“Holy... Um, we have so not found that part of the medical history yet.”

“It's not in the medical history,” Michael's hand reached out as the chattering stopped to run over the books, “Are these dad's? Wait, I remember this one,” Matt's heart sank as Michael pulled one from the bottom, “Yeah, this was when we discovered it wasn't anemia...”

“You, you can help us find which of these books hold what medical treatment he did, I mean, if you're comfortable.”

“Not exactly legal Foggy.”

“He's dead Matt, legally he doesn't exist.”

“He's got a point Matt,” Matt caught the book with an annoyed look as dust bellowed, “Oh shit, your nose, I'm sorry!”

“I just need a minute.”

Michael was slouched as Matt left, wincing each time he heard a sneeze as he headed toward the bathroom, “I'm an ass...”

Foggy couldn't stop laughing, “I've done worse. At least yours was an honest accident.”

“Oh, you've done worse? On purpose.”

Foggy waved a hand and grabbed his pen and legal pad, holding up “Ate garlic for a week straight, share a shoebox office.”

Michael was confused until he finally blinked open his eyes at the sound of the paper flapping in the breeze before he burst out laughing, “So you know.”

“Yeah, I know.” Michael was grinning ear to ear when at least 3 pages from the pad was torn out and thrown into the bin. “So, what's with all this?”

“I was always a sick kid, at first listed anemic, basic treatment but as I started developing it became worse. I couldn't have transfusions, we found out just recently that the preservatives cause rejection, at the time we couldn't find any alternative. Transplants, gene therapy nothing worked. I got too sick to perform tests or try risky last ditch treatments so, dad's last goal was to keep me alive. He was at the point if he could keep me alive he could figure out what was wrong with me. Figured it was just a matter of keeping me alive. He turned to experimental cross species treatment. I ended up spliced with vampire bat and yeah, down the shitter from there.”

“He kept you alive...”

“Yeah well, took another what 5 years and how many corpses to fix me? And technically I'm still a threat. I don't even know if I can have a normal life again.”

Michael's head shot up, Foggy had to smirk, knowing something was probably going on in the other room, before the kid took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “Feel better?”

“Yeah, Matt has a way of doing that. Your heart's not freaking out anymore, thanks.”

“For what?”

“Being calm, and trusting enough to be in a room alone with me... Maybe I can have a normal life.” Michael stood up to rummage through the books. “This will be the book on discovery, these 2 are on procedures and treatments, you'll notice desperation set in in this one, this one... don't read until after you get through the medical history, it's post hospitals. Post... this. Um, there's one missing...”

“What's in it? What's it look like?”

“It's mine... my journal, I kept it. Dad said I needed to keep one to put down any details after all this... It was small, a pocket journal not the big ones like this. Leather bound, but like untanned, felt like rabbit. I put them with dad's journals before I left.”

“Color?” Foggy was writing it all down.

“Brown, solid brown with a strap clasp. I could have sworn I put it with dad's books.”

“It probably got stored somewhere different is all.”

Michael's head shot up in time to grab the ball thrown at him. “What the fuck?”

“For the book fiasco.”

“Asshole, mine was an accident.”

“My hand slipped,” Matt was smirking as he sat back down, “Catch me up to speed?”

“Michael's journal is missing he said he'd put it with his dad's, I'm betting they saw a weird kid's journal and chucked it into something unimportant labelled.”

Matt was chuckling as Michael glared at him and shook his hand, “Funny Murdock...”

“What'd I miss?”

“Michael has some of spider-man's abilities.”

“Like getting stuck to shit when panicked or startled,” Michael finally got his hand free and still glared as he set the ball on the table. “Asshole.”

“Well I am a lawyer.”

Foggy shouldered him, “Just, keep going through the medical file, Michael helped my get these books in chronological order.”

“That was nice of him.”

“I'm nice, unlike some people...”

Foggy snickered, “I like him.”

“Don't start this early Nelson, the caffeine hasn't kicked in.”

-

Michael was curled up in the corner of the room, Foggy kept look at him sleeping on the literal ceiling... “Nelson, focus.”

“I'm sorry, that's a little new to me, okay.”

“You get use to it, those two are usually clumped together... it's amusing when they sleep in the same place.”

“Who?”

“Him and Spider-man, Spidey purrs, he just doesn't know it, this one will chatter. It's cute.”

“That sounds freaking adorable... but still, I don't know if we can actually do this Murdock.”

“Do what?”

“This,” Foggy waved his hands, “And if you can't tell I'm flailing we have a bigger problem, like 'I want a divorce' big...”

“Didn't know we were married.”

“Worse, we're partners.”

“There is that.”

“Matt, we honestly don't have any inclination this guy was in his right mind. He freaking spliced his kid!”

“He was desperate, he was a medical professional at the end of his rope.”

“And look what he did?!”

Matt held up a finger as he checked, no pulse change to the one in the corner, “I didn't see, did he put his earbuds in?”

“Of course you didn't fucking see Murdock, yeah he was listening to music or whatever, why?”

“Because his hearing, might be better than mine with training.”

Foggy was still, blinking no doubt, “Shit... Not the best place then huh?”

“Jarvis is staying out of this room, it's a safe zone anything spoken in here is off his record for the protection of the client.”

“You trust that?”

“Stark has no fucking idea I'm Daredevil, at this point I trust Jarvis as a secret keeper. At least until I'm a threat and I gotta admit, fuck anonymity at that point.”

“You trust Jarvis.”

“He hasn't asked, I haven't verified, but he's not in this room and he sure as hell hasn't outed me yet.”

“Key word, yet.”

“Spidey trusts Stark, no matter how much hyper and clumsy that kid has I gotta admit, he's got good instincts to back it up.”

“Okay so, what's the plan?”

“Prove sanity on the father, work on the case for a mental defect verdict on the kid and keep him out of jail, he will go insane there, if we can get him his legal inheritance, so be it.”

“Okay, so, father desperate to save his son's life.”

“Technically, nothing he did put the child at risk.”

“He would have lost his license at the genetic modification like this and you know it, that's why he kept it off the paperwork!”

“We're not defending his license here, just sanity.”

“So many laws broken...”

“Unless that estate has a clause for offenses it's still legally Michael's, the hospital is just looking for a huge donation.”

“Fuck! I'm going to have to brush up on estate laws... I hate that. That's why I went into defense!”

Matt smiled and patted his shoulder, “Thanks Foggy.”

“Shut it, you're lucky Stark is offering so fucking much or we would pass this up in a heartbeat as not our area!”

“The kid needs help,” Matt mumbled as his fingers flew over the limited paperwork he could review.

Stark knocked on the door, he waved him in, “I've got the first book in braille, the second one is working on translating.”

“Michael says there's a book missing. A small journal, was there anything like that in the boxes you got?”

“I'll have to double check, but those are all the books I saw the first time through.”

“Michael says it's the book about his condition from his end... it could be adamant for his verdict.”

“Right, hold on,” Stark popped his head out to argue with Jarvis before he closed the door, “Jarvis will go through the videos of the delivery and the inventory check, make sure someone didn't misplace it or drop it along the way.”

“Thanks... Stark, if that journal gets public,” Matt was glaring toward the door.

“I know, Murdock, I fucking know,” Stark stomped off, this time the door slamming started Michael, causing him to drop down and chatter suddenly.

“What?”

“Tony slamming doors, go back to sleep, boring lawyer talk,” Matt grumbled as he went back to reading, hearing Foggy scratch on paper and hold it up to Michael before the kid could even get his earphones out.

“Okay, if you're sure...” Matt smirked at Foggy's scratchy writing sounding again before the flutter of pages, “Yeah well, it's comfy, I'm tired, and this corner guarantees the sun ain't getting to me.”

Foggy's heart fluttered in confusion, “What's he talking about?”

“The sun hurts him Foggy, technically he is a vampire.”

“He's vampire bat, bats can be out in the sun they just don't like it.”

“We have no idea, it's just one of the things that effects him. They can't float either but,” Matt waved and hand up toward Michael settling in the corner again.

“Fucking Lost Boy...”

Matt's head hit the table as he laughed.

-

Matt's ear tilted toward the chatter, he smirked and signaled for Foggy to follow him, “The room is over-”

“Shh,” Matt signaled to follow, taking a quick listen just to be sure, before he lead him into the game room. Foggy stumbled when he got nudged toward the couch. “Listen.”

Foggy rolled his eyes and blinked at the two teens sprawled on the couch, smirking as he realized the suit before carefully shuffled back to grab Matt's arm and leave the room, “Spider-man purrs?”

“Yeah, that's the only time I've heard it, I'm not sure if you can hear it but Michael chatters. I can't explain the pitch.”

“Damn bat ears,” Matt rolled his eyes and let Foggy lead him back, no wanting to tap his cane in case it woke Michael.

Foggy settled in, “Any chance we can get Karen in on this? I'm so sick of reading.”

“She's not cleared and she's doing what she can on the public domain, seeing if there's something floating out there on this we aren't aware is public.”

“Anymore braille translations?”

“He got me the last book, Michael said not to read that one until we cleared the medical documents first.”

“You told him the order right? I could have sworn you did.”

“Must have gotten the order mixed up when he ordered them or they were already working on that one.”

“Dude was definitely a doctor, fucking chicken scratch.”

Matt's hand stopped in mid swipe, “Foggy, there's mention of a 'black out' Incident in the medical history...”

Foggy grumbled as he tried to match the notes with the time frame Matt was reading off. “Okay, random squiggling... fuck me this is difficult... Um, patient refusing food. Behavior agitated, quick to anger, violent. Okay I'll take Puberty for the win.”

“Black out Incident Foggy.”

“Right, um, ew, um food rejection, shaking, sweating, first suspected illness. Rejection, wait IV rejection. Okay so he got a bad batch.

“When you're dealing with blood loss you're thirsty Foggy, thirsty and starving, it's your body's way to naturally replenish the blood on its own.”

“Alright fine, they tried a transfusion and it didn't work, kid had the stomach flu or something. Kid could have had food poisoning for all we know we're not doctors!”

“Any chance we could get Stark to clear a medical consultant?”

“Claire?”

Matt nodded as he read the file, “This is the actual medical file, it's in the medical systems. And it's including a blackout incident. This would mean his father did this to him before his hospital records stop and he pulled the kid off grid trying to fix it.”

“Okay so, grounds for malpractice and CPS involvement, but dad's dead that's useless.”

“It means someone knew this kid was a risk and they let him get discharged.”

“Fuck this is complicated...”

“Yeah, request a consultant?”

“Is Stark going to do that?”

“I honestly don't know,” Matt grabbed up his glasses as he headed for the door. “Jarvis, can you ask Stark if we can get a requested medical professional as a consultant for the medical record interpretation. We have a trusted one in mind.”

“I can bring it up to, Sir, I can make no guarantee of the outcome.”

“She's on the Devil's speed dial.”

“I will happily mention that to Sir.”

“I'll call her and see if she wants to help, even if it's a no it's good to warn her of the possible employment.”

“Of course Sir, as long as you bring no personal information to light.”

“Is our involvement with Stark within those perimeters?”

“You can mention employment by Sir, not the nature of the employment.”

“The Devil's in the details. Mention of needing assistant analyzing medical records withing those perimeters?”

“That is permitted, just no details, as you said.”

“Thanks Jarvis, oh, um, let Michael know we're here when the boys finally get up. A little help would be nice. I know he's not a professional but they are his record and he grew up with family in the medical field.”

“Will do sir.”

“Found the black out records, they ain't a black out record here. Kid attacked a poor nurse.”

“What?”

“Patient was feral, physical anomalies,” Foggy suddenly stopped, making Matt's head tilt at the sudden pounding of his heart. “Matt... he covered up a murder...” Matt's teeth ground as Foggy cleared his voice, “assistant attempted to subdue patient, sedatives unaffected, restraints- god they pinned the kid down and he snapped them... Matt he, he tore out her throat, patient stabilized and passive after- fuck I don't think I have the stomach for this.”

“Just, stay quiet about it for a bit, back track before then, check for attempts or something to prove he already did the gene altering, I'm going to call Claire.”

“Right...”

Matt shifted out of the room, “Jarvis, I'm doing this here so you have record of what's spoken about in case Stark gets jumpy.”

“As you wish Sir.”

Matt grabbed his phone and clicked Claire's number. “Don't say anything, just listen for a bit, we're monitored.”

“Why?”

“You're going to get a call from Stark Industries about consulting on a case, they need a medical professional to help their lawyers with the records they're using.”

“Malpractice? They must have like a thousand lawyers, why would you be telling me this?”

“Because I'm one of the ones on the case.”

“What... what's this about?”

“I can't give details because it is a case and you can't know details without being put under legal restrictions, but Claire... Please.”

“You really are the strong silent type...”

“I don't trust anyone else to help us look through these and interpret them.”

Claire's sigh made his heart flutter, “How much information am I going to get on this before I have to give an answer?”

“I-I honestly don't have a clue... The only thing I can tell you is, they're innocent.”

“Of course they're innocent, Matt, they always are. That's the only clients you take.”

“I'm not the final word on this, please, just, think about it.”

“I'll think about it.”

“There's a check in it for consulting at least, so this time it's not pro bono.”

Claire chuckled as the line disconnected. Matt sighed and tilted his head toward the ceiling, “Sir's office should be reaching out shortly.”

“Just don't harass her otherwise she's going to be my client not my consultant.”

“I would never.”

“Thanks Jarvis,” Matt headed back in the room to scratch at his hair and tuck the phone back in his pocket.

“She in?”

“We'll find out.”

-

Matt's head tilted toward the door, “What is it boy?”

Rolling his eye, he shoved the papers he'd been holding in Foggy's face and laughed as he went to the door, “You said yes.”

“What can I say? I'm a sucker, I can't say no to you.”

“I remember several times you said no,” Matt smiled then frowned as he tilted his head. “Hold on. Um Foggy, interference? Catch Claire up. Did Stark give you the paperwork to sign?”

“Yep, unless in court, under NDA.”

“Good, um Foggy fill her in on Michael, I'm going to give you a few minutes.”

“Coffee!”

“Yeah coffee for the room.”

“You're the best!”

Matt caught the boy's shoulder, “Come on, show me where the coffee is?”

Michael blinked at him before reaching up, “Huh?”

“Oh, bad day?”

“I, headache from vision blur.”

“Ah, concentrating too hard?”

“Yeah... passed out with them out and yeah tension headache or something.”

“Show me where the caffeine is and Foggy will probably offer aspirin.”

“Won't work and I know for a fact he's more liable to hug you for it...”

“Not wrong, coffee?”

“If I can keep my earbuds in I'll show you anything you want.”

“Coffee, caffeine can help with headaches.”

“Stimulants don't work either, found that out a long time ago.”

“Huh?”

Michael put his earbuds back in, “Junkies.”

“Oh...” Matt nodded in understanding and let Michael lead him to the kitchen.

Matt talked toward the ceiling and Michael just shrugged his shoulder before he saw the holo text next to him. “I have a friend helping with the medical records.”

“Oh? Um, you trust them?”

Matt nodded, “She's the one that patched me up.”

“Oh when? Cause last time was a pretty crappy job.”

Matt shook his head, “That was a home job, it wasn't worth her time.”

“Mhm... but you trust her?”

Matt nodded, “With my life, more than once.”

“How did you meet her?” Michael took the spare mugs of coffee as Matt took his and tapped his cane beside him.

“She, um, her friend drug me out of a dumpster.”

Michael laughed so hard he actually had to stop when his vision was nothing more than constant static, “Okay, okay, I trust her.” Claire was blinking widely at him when he entered, “Um, hi, I'm Michael.”

Matt nudged his shoulder softly and tapped his ear with the hand holding his cane, “Ears.”

“Oh, right, hold on I can't hear you.”

“Jarvis isn't allowed in this room,” Foggy explained once the earphones were out.”

“Oh, okay, um I have coffee.”

“Oh, um, thank you.”

“Claire, Michael, Michael Claire.”

“Okay?”

“Claire, this is the patient listed in those records.”

Claire's eyes went so wide as she looked back to the book and up at him, “Is- is it safe to hug you?”

“Um, yeah? Just, watch the coffee?” Michael flinched when she flew over to him and he quickly held the mug to Foggy, who took it while laughing. “Um, it's okay, I'm, um okay-ish now?”

“You were like what 12 when this happened how is that okay?!”

Michael shrugged, “I'm, I'm sane, I'm breathing, and I'm not- well we're still checking on that but I might not even need blood anymore.”

“Okay okay case... There's one big thing you guys do need, and actual medical professional for the stand. I, I'm not even sure what specialist will have the most authority here. I'm not even sure who you could call in that can make sense of half this crap. I mean, I can give you some insight on a lot of this, but- I'm just a nurse okay? This is way above my pay grade. From this I'd say definitely grounds for temporary insanity plea.” Claire looked up and darted her eyes between the two, “What? What's with the looks?”

“Legally Michael is dead. Missing, presumed deceased.”

“Presumed, presumed dead people do show back up Matt...”

“He's 17 Claire, no living relative.”

Claire slumped back, “Shit, ward of the state... With multiple murder charges, mutation, this is... I know it's your job not mine but, fuck-”

“Legally, even as a minor he can be tried as an adult with these charges.”

“HE WAS 12 MATT! None of this shit is his fault!”

“I know, we all know. Please keep the voice down, the kid sees like I do. And he's just now learning how to control it so voices can make his vision blurry.”

Michael had drifted up toward the corner he had a habit of sleeping in, making Claire blink, “He can fly?”

“Yeah.”

“Wait, isn't he sighted?”

“Yeah, that's why sound messes up his vision and gives him headaches which he has at the moment, I can hear the constricted vessels pounding in his head.”

“Creepy Murdock, and rude,” Michael hissed at him, making Foggy chuckle, “And meds don't work on me.”

Matt shook his head as he folder his cane and gave the table leg a firm strike, Michael seemed to relax, taking a deep breath, “What's that about?”

“It... it's difficult to explain, it clears the room of ambient, annoying background noises and gives you a single distinct tone to help focus the image.”

“Thanks,” Michael said as he curled in on himself, “Doesn't help the headache but thanks.”

“Just let me know if you need it again.”

Claire was getting upset, Matt could hear it and Michael could see it as he kept noticing her eyes darting to him as she read. But Michael didn't bring it up, and Matt just responding by randomly scaring the shit out of them by slamming his cane against the table leg when he noticed Michael was focusing too hard on the panicked heartbeat. “Okay Matt that's really getting on my nerves.”

Michael drifted away from the wall, “I'll leave.”

“No, you don't have to leave, just, a little warning would be nice.”

“You're doing pretty good reading dad's handwriting, so I'm not really needed.”

Claire's eyes went so wide as she stared at the book again before turning a glare at Matt, who pretended to have no idea she was glaring before blinking at Michael, “This, your father did this to you?”

Michael nodded, “Yeah, the most ironic thing about all this? Dad hated working with parents of terminal kids... Said there's some point that you just have to say 'enough'. When they stop fighting, you just have to let them go and love them for as long as you can. Guess he didn't take his own advice.”

Claire looked about to bolt, her professionalism trying to keep her calm and reserved in the eyes of the patient, but Michael was already leaving the room so she finally laid her head down, “How the hell could someone do this to a kid, their own fucking kid?”

Matt shut his eyes and tried his damnedest to ignore the tears. “We don't know, we're just trying to fix it.”

“Matt, his first incident was before the medical records stopped, he, I don't even think he remembers it. It looks like there was some kind of gestation period, stunted development something because their was no second black out incident listed in the actual medical records. But the journals list, god there's so many trials... animals, attempts to substitute human blood. He made the kid sick over and over... For years Matt, literal fucking years!”

Matt was sitting back, “Black out incidents?”

“I think he was trying to space out... treatment? I don't know what to call this. He started out with a week, kid ended up attacking... fuck, it just says treatment it doesn't say... fuck this shit is coded, but if you know what you're looking for it's all there. He attacked someone, an intruder, a colleague, hell some rando he took home for the 'night' who the hell knows... The kid was locked in a cage Matt. He was 'contained'. Containment, isolation, whatever you want to call it. Does the kid remember any of this?”

“He said he had a journal, he remembers the journal.”

“Sterile treatment, what's that?”

“Michael's dad use to work at the hospital, he'd steal transfusion blood on occasion, that's probably what he's referring to.”

“Transport of subject...”

“Michael said they had to move around a lot after- everything.”

“Yeah, people going missing will do that.” Claire rubbed at her eyes, “Fuck, Matt, this is. Way beyond my fucking pay grade... Like serious, are we allowed emotion distress compensation? Cause just reading this shit is gonna give me nightmares.”

“We need to find Michael's journal.”

“If the kid didn't write in code like his dad, that's going to be worse.”

“Matt, we've got a slight problem, from Claire's reaction to this, this man isn't in his right mind.”

“True-fucking-that.”

“He was at the time of his will, it was laid out just after Michael was born.”

“Why the hell would he put a literal 'required proof' of death clause if it was when the kid was born and not after This?”

Matt shrugged, “I have no idea, just, preparation?.. Shit.”

“What now?”

“Did Michael's mother die in child birth?”

Claire grabbed the medical records, “Hemorrhage, hospitalized due to hemorrhage, kid lived mother died. Michael was put in an incubator, 2 months premature, induced labor, eventual cesarean. Anemia. Treated for anemia. Please tell me this mother fucker wasn't planning this the entire time?”

“Banner let me in on his current chart. Chimerism, two sets of dna in 1 individual.”

“He's fucking Spliced, Matt, of course there's two sets of dna!”

“Human Chimerism, his bone marrow and some of his organs don't match the dna in his blood.”

“He's had organ transplants, multiple!”

“They match dna for a transplant, they weren't talking slight changes you expect in matched organs. Completely different dna. The blood and organ dna is nothing alike, hell his fucking skin doesn't match his blood.”

“He's a fucking vampire! His blood is probably a fucking river of mixed dna!”

“The human dna is sound though, it matches the damn medical records! The only difference to it is the animal genetics now mixed into it! His father royally fucked up, and didn't even have a clue the starting cause, got desperate, got really fucking stupid and... destroyed so many lives. But the medical chart is sound up until that point, doesn't it?”

“Why would you put a clause like that in a fucking Will though? For a child that was medically unsound, high risk birth. Was he named?”

Matt had to check, “Yes, he was named.”

Claire sat back in her chair. “At the start of Michael's chart, professionally, I would say yes to a sane, if not a little worried parent. The middle of it... we'd call it a lost cause, the ones you... listen you get to the point you just indulge, you know it's going to happen it's just a matter of time. Family raises hell long enough, the staff get run down and tired and just, everything is just 'yes ma'am, yes sir' let me get back to my rounds. Because we already know the code is going to happen, it's just whether or not there's a DNR.”

“And the end is just insane,” Matt offered as his fingers skimmed the chart.

“At the end it's... fuck, I can't even, monster is what comes to mind. He, he made this kid suffer so long, why? Because this piece of shit had to be the one to die before his son.”

“Try not to bring that up in front of Michael.”

“Why?”

“Michael... wasn't in his right mind,” Claire's eyes went so wide, Matt winced as she walked out of the room, slamming the door closed.

“Murdock, there's a lot of shit here you know that I don't.”

“There's a lot of shit not going to make it to the trial, it won't come up because it's undiscovered evidence. Besides, there's no way to verify a lot of the things Michael's said without that fucking journal.”

“He's going to need a full medical work up, from a professional, psych-eval, fuck, he'd have to be alive for any of that to be on the record.”

Matt got up and headed for the door, Foggy standing to follow before the door opened, “Jarvis, we need to talk with Stark. We're at an impasse on the timeline he wants for this case. And, if Claire is in the building can you tell her we're discussing this with Stark and could really use her help.”

“Of course sir, would you like me to alert Michael as well?”

“Not, not currently, there's a lot of things-I don't want to bring them up for him if we don't have to, not yet.” Matt's head tilted at the odd sound, “Was, was that a nod?”

“I will leave Michael out of it until it's pertinent, sir.”

Matt was smirking as he headed back into the room, waiting out the rest. “Why do I have a feeling this is about to be a bad month?”

“Because it just started buddy,” Foggy's hand on his shoulder helped.

-

“So, we're going to get him declared living?”

“That's how this kicks off, after that. Hell.”

“Then, if the charges of the vampire killings happen?”

“Temporary insanity. We'll have the items we need for proof, given that even though we're currently looking at them they aren't technically in our possession, they can't be tampered with, and they are in our possession under a different consultation, so we are able to have backups of the files,” Matt waved the braille versions of the books at him and the lights turn on, “In case any tampering or misplaced items. But, we could really use Michael's journal for all this. If, this is going to be a bitch but, if we can get him emancipated now, which is still a snowball's chance in hell that will work, we might have grounds to push for the estate to get released early.”

“If we wait for him to turn 18 it would be instant.”

“If we wait until then we might have a fight from the hospital, the runner up, claiming the kid hasn't been seen long enough that he would have emerged for that much money if he was still alive. I, I don't know if it would hold up in their favor but they could tie it up for years trying.”

“Once Michael emerges though they have no claim.”

“Technically, no, but once it's bound in a court case he sure can't touch anything until it's released even if legally it's his. It's like a dead letter office moment, it shouldn't happen but that doesn't mean it can't happen.”

“Fuck,” Tony sighed as he sat down.

“You know anyone that can fast forward this? Get him declared, preferably not in state care.”

Tony was tapping a pen he'd grabbed onto the table, “If I do it will fuck your case for him being innocent. He was mutated, he's not a mutant, is he?”

“You're the one that's run every test you can think of, did you ever find an X gene?”

“No.”

Matt frowned, “Any chance in hell you could, mention the Avengers can keep him contained and under surveillance until trial if it does come to that?”

“That, I could argue that. I mean, Hulk loves the kid but I'm pretty sure big green could also snap him in half if he had reason.”

“You have proof of keeping him contained and in control? From Jarvis maybe?”

Stark sat back, “I see what you mean.”

“Point is to prove stability, if that should be needed.”

“We had one incident... Jarvis had to lit him up like a Christmas tree.”

“When was this?”

“A little while after Spider-man drug him here, he was hurt though, not in sound mind. I've got, he was begging me to leave, he knew it was coming. He tried to make me get away. Kid was burnt to hell from the sun, Jarvis lit him up, electrocution, it knocked him out long enough to get a couple pints in him, he was still a little hazy but he kept warning us when he started feeling it creep in.”

“He's, he's a good kid.”

“Yeah,” Tony snorted, “Too bad his dad wasn't.”

“Any others?”

“No, he does everything he can to keep it from happening, hell he was afraid to even hug people for the longest time. Peter's aunt, May, she knew him when they were both... just kids, she hugged him when she realized what he'd gone through, she doesn't even know the whole story, kid froze up and backed off. Basically isolated himself until Peter could get us to give him something to help keep the urge to bite at bay. We haven't even gotten a strength or endurance test run on him. He freaks out just thinking about hurting someone.”

“Has he bitten anyone while he's resided here?'

“Well unless Parker is hiding something...”

“Stark.”

“No, no biting, he comes to us the moment he's thirsty, either that or Spider-man does or Peter does whoever happens to be with him. He's had a few bad days but other than that, no biting, no actual intention of biting other than when he was severely injured.”

“How injured?”

“Anyone object to images?”

“You have images of the injuries?”

“I have videos of everything that happened. Jarvis, oh right damn,” Tony swiped a hand over the table, revealing a keyboard and typed out something before pointing to the wall next to the door. “There, if you want audio I'll have to allow the speakers to be activated.”

“Please,” Matt said as Tony's fingers flew over the keys.

A crash sounded, making him jerk his head, “Shit, kid, he flew threw the landing pad doors. Matt he's actually like, on fire.”

Matt winced and turned away from the sound of Michael pleading for darkness, blood, help, for Tony to stay back, to just get help. Then he heard the click and buzz before he covered his ears at the scream and crackling of electricity. “Fuck.”

“I, I didn't have a choice, Jarvis had to raise the voltage high enough to drop a fucking bull elephant. He, he almost made it to me.”

“You should have left the fucking room!”

“I couldn't risk him trying to go out again! I couldn't risk him trying to escape that room. It's meant for locking down to outside attack not within, and if he'd gotten out, after me? Jarvis would have fried him, raised the blinds and not let him have a single space to hide, and if he'd gotten outside the tower it would have happened anyway. I stayed in control and I put him down, he... he didn't even remember getting hit by it, he just remembered getting inside. Took nearly a week for all the burns to heal. Up until that point, he wasn't a threat. If he had continued? Chased? He would have been labeled a threat. Believe me, I wish I'd thought of something different, that was the lesser of the evils. Jarvis didn't even want to do it, but it's not like we had time to think of anything less potentially fatal.”

“Tranqs come to mind.”

“That was a fucking 'tranq' to the kid! Outside a repulsor blast we don't even have a verified way of knocking him out and this,” Tony tapped his chest, “This doesn't do warning shots, if I activate it, it will eliminate the threat.”

Foggy realized how pale Matt was, “Hey, buddy, you okay?”

“I need a minute,” he bolted from the room, not even remembering to grab his cane. Jarvis didn't even bother trying to interrupt his thoughts as he opened the door to the game room. Both boys turned to him, he just hugged Michael and tried to catch his breath, concentrating on the now rabbit pounding heartbeat wrapped in his arms.

“Hey, what's wrong?”

“It stopped, it stopped.”

“What stopped? Hey, it's okay. Stark what the fuck did you do?!”

“I, I showed them the video of when you crash landed on the landing pad.”

“Matt, what stopped?”

“Your heart, it, it stopped.”

Tony's head popped up, eyes wide while Foggy rubbed his eyes as he stepped closer, “Hey, buddy, it's okay, he's alright. Electricity can do that. Mess with the rhythm. It probably just skipped some beats. I mean he's here now, so it probably just skipped a beat, got out of rhythm.”

Michael was a little panicked, but he finally smiled and held him back, “Focus. It's there, it's beating, a little panicked but, it's beating. Just breathe and focus.” Michael signaled for Peter to shut the game down, and helped him lead Matt to sit on the couch.

Foggy caught Stark sneaking out of the room and followed, “Jarvis, can you verify what Murdock just said?”

Foggy just crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall as Tony stared at the ceiling, “Yes, Sir, Michael's heart did indeed stop.”

“Shit,” Tony slumped, Foggy scrambled to help him safety down to the floor, “Why didn't you tell me?”

“I knew this would be your reaction, Sir, and given the quick recovery and your priorities at the time it didn't seem important.”

“I killed him.”

“It was merely a few moments, Sir, a bit longer than a skipped beat but not long enough to have caused problems, seeing as how it quickly recovered and continued at a steady rhythm it didn't seem pertinent at the time.”

Tony rubbed his eyes, “I need a drink.”

“I think we all do at this point,” Foggy nudged him, “Come on, up ya go.”

“What about Matt?”

“Let him just zone on the kid for awhile, it'll help calm his nerves.”

“He done that before?”

“Yeah, it's usually when he's got migraines, we were cozy back then, roommates. Sometimes a focus just... helps. And right now the big help is knowing the kid is fine.”

“How the hell did he know about that before I did?”

“Stark, your boys are still your boys, they want to protect you. The kid was fine after, he's still fine, and you are obviously not fine knowing about it even if it was just a blink in time. Now, where do you keep the booze?”

Tony shook his head and smirked, leading the way to the bar. “Still, Michael, I don't even think he remembers.”

“Kid got lit the fuck up, and I'm not talking a taser, Jesus Christ, did Thor help you power that thing?”

Tony gave a sobbing laugh, “No, there would be no past tense if he had...”

Foggy frowned as he reached out, pulling Tony closer, “Michael is fine, deep breath. Michael is fine, his heart is beating fine, if not a bit rapid fire after Matt freaked him out, but it's beating. And, hopefully, in a few days he'll legally be alive too.”Tony was trying, but it wasn't helping the panic attack very much. He tensed when Foggy set his head against his heart, “Breathe, and listen.”

Foggy caught the glass that started slipping from Tony's slack hand, sighing as he knocked back his drink and set the glass on the nearby table. “Jarvis, can you let Matt and the boys know I'm kinda stuck here when everything settles down over there?”

Jarvis' voice was soft yet amused, “Of course Mr. Nelson.”

“Thanks.”

-

Peter had shoved a scratchy turtle neck over his head, “It'll help, we have to travel during the day, we don't want any accidental sunburns.”

Tony was throwing a set of jeans at him, “Steer clear of black kid, there's no actual sightings of detailed description on you when you were... well, anyway, keep you hair up.”

“Okay,” Michael felt like a damn dress up doll, tugging at his sleeve while he waited for them to figure out how they were going to transport him.

“Hey, you okay?”

Michael closed his eyes, reaching out for the cane he knew was there, only to have it set in his hand, “Yeah, just, staticy.”

“Here, these should help with, well it should keep the questions at bay at least while in transport,” Michael blinked at the dark glasses handed to him.

He tapped the cane anxiously, calming his breath and heart, while they fussed, “This is really happening?”

“Yeah, kid, this is really happening.”

Michael's head shot up at the rhythmic tapping and smiled, “Matt's here.”

“What? Jarvis, why didn't you tell me?”

“You informed me once they were employed that you weren't needing to be informed every time they visited.”

Tony blinked, “When was that?”

“I believe it was somewhere between last call and dawn sir.”

“No wonder I said that... Fucking lawyers.”

Michael was giggling so hard, Matt came in smiling at the chatter. “So, ready to be declared living again?”

“Uh-yeah-I- I guess.”

“Is it a bad day?”

“The best bad day,” Michael smiled as he reached back to pull up his hair. “So, I-I don't have paperwork, I- I think my passport is actually in the holdings or something.”

“Yeah, don't worry, we'll get it figured out when we get there.”

Michael frowned at the heavy thing thrown on him, “Wear that, it'll help keep the sun away.”

Michael smiled at the hoodie, “I'm going to be sweating...”

“You'll manage for awhile, come on, let's go.”

Michael was tense during the car ride, knowing that the worst wasn't over, after all the Tower had underground parking, he wasn't in the clear just yet. “Focus,” Matt's voice snapped him out of it, he hadn't even realized he was in the middle of a panic attack. He rested his head on the shoulder next to him and just concentrated on the pulse next to him, tuning out all the chatter and static the cars caused.

Matt shifted an umbrella up, making Michael blinked at it and smile before quickly dashing under it from the car and into the building, “The blinds are up, so don't drop the hood until you have to.”

“Yeah, just look like the fucking-”

“Don't finish that sentence, this isn't the place for those jokes.”

Michael snickered when Peter nudged him, “Morbid Morbie.”

“Shhh.”

“Yeah yeah, I can't wait until we get you back on the books. Oh, you still into science? Ap Chem is awesome! It can get a little boring sometimes but there's not really a higher weight Sophomores can take.”

Michael tensed, just realizing how much time he'd lost during everything, “I, I'm not even sure I can place in Sophomore.”

“Don't worry, I'll help!”

“Thanks.”

Matt shifted closer, setting a hand on his shoulder when he couldn't get his vision to clear, “Focus.”

“Little hard, too many.”

Matt set his head to his chest, “Focus, breathe.”

It didn't clear his vision but it at least helped calm his mind and fluttering heart. “I... I'm not going to able to see here.”

“Did you bring your earbuds?”

Michael waved them, “Don't know braille or sign, can't really use them here.”

“We'll get the information and paperwork then we'll settle somewhere a little calmer so you can.”

“Okay.”

Michael shook his head when the desk clerk asked if they needed a braille version, Matt nodded, “Yes please, he has synesthesia, he's having a rough time with his vision currently, it would be better if I could help him read it.”

Michael nodded, not thinking about that, they were able to head to somewhere more quiet, “I forgot about synesthesia.”

“It's the honest truth, your sight and vision are linked, we might not ever get it completely settled.”

“Yeah, um. Okay how do I verify this?”

“First, breathe, you're not going to get tackled... wait, Peter's here, scratch that you will, but you're not going to get attacked.”

Michael gave a chirp of a laugh, blurring the colors in front of his face before he started filling out the paperwork as Matt followed along. “I, I don't know my social security...”

“We can get that from your medical records. I'll call Foggy.”

“Okay, I'm still trying to figure out who actually got me declared dead.”

Matt shrugged, “Any aunts, uncles, grandparents?”

“Dad was the only family I knew about.”

Matt nodded as he pulled out his phone to call Foggy to get the number they needed to continue. Michael slipped his earbuds in when a child started throwing tantrum somewhere in the building, Matt tapped the paper, giving him the number he needed once he pulled an earbud out, though the shrieking cries were annoying to try to see through. “Foggy's getting a hold of the state, seeing if we can get a hand on your passport. Is it new enough to be after-” Matt waved a hand toward his current condition.

“It, yeah, dad played off my eyes as an albino gene. Rare but it happens.”

Matt nodded, “Pink? Isn't that the common trait?”

“Mine are red but yeah, red/pink eyes and usually pale white skin and sometimes white hair. It's why he albino genes.”

“Hm, wonder if the second genes are albino.”

Michael shrugged, “I wouldn't know, everyone was too busy trying to keep me breathing. We didn't even know about the second dna until Bruce discovered it.”

“Can I ask, what do you look like?”

Michael blinked, “Oh, right, um. Well, you know I'm built like a twig,” Matt rolled his eyes, “Um, my jaw is kinda sharp but I'm sure you know that.”

“It's different from normal people, it, it feels like it can unhinge.”

Michael smirked, “Yeah, um, my teeth are long, it kinda reminds of a bear or something. Sharp canines, top and bottom with like, pits in my jaw so they fit together when closed. Um, my eyes are red, deep red, not like the pale pink of albinism. Um, my ears are a bit larger, pointed... Parker would not stop with the Vulcan jokes, I'm still hearing them.”

Matt snorted and chuckled, “I remember Vulcans. Not the worst.”

“Yeah well, um my hair is black, and it curls no matter if I want it to or not... And I'm so pale you can actually see my veins when- well when there's actually blood in them.”

“Your hands are odd, they feel like they have more joints in them than normal.”

“They do, I've got 4 joints per finger, it makes it easier to grab things and keep my grip. My toes are like that too but they're a little different from normal ones, more flexible so I can grip something with either my hands or feet.”

“What about your arms?”

Michael blinked, “Huh?”

Matt reached out, “Lift your arm, it's here,” he tapped under his bicep, “It's, it's like here,” Michael blinked at the tap on his forearm. “Two bones.”

Michael blinked, “Huh, I, I wasn't aware of that...” He frowned at the paperwork, “I, I don't have any clue how to fill some of this out, I don't have a legal guardian.”

Matt was focusing on him, watching him, before he shook himself out of his searching, “Right, technically you're a ward of the state because of no living relatives.”

“Okay so, what happens when I get declared alive?”

“You've been living with Stark, put the information it asks for down, we can get him to verify. Explain due to medical complications you were essentially unable to be reestablished and go from there. I doubt anyone's going to have a chance of taking you from his custody. Even if it's as a foster he should still be able to keep you there.”

Michael looked about to say something but Matt covered his mouth and shook his head before tapping the paper and going back up to catching up to where Michael was on his own sheet. “At least that kid shut up.”

“Yeah, you get use to it.”

“Fuck.”

Matt smirked, “Language.”

“Double fuck.”

Matt laughed.

-

Tony was actually bouncing, and rambling, probably loudly, but Michael was just staring at him. “Jarvis, can I get the cliff notes? I'm actually afraid to take out my earbuds and it's a bad day.”

“Sir would like to inform you he received the paperwork of verified fostering. Welcome back to the land of the living.”

Michael was so stunned Tony had to grab him, “I'm...”

“You're back on the grid kid! Welcome back,” the text was bright red and gold as Tony beamed at him.

“There's no-”

“Not a single hitch, not from the fingerprints, not from the dna. Well there was one but once explained the genetic mutation post medical there was some red tape but- Your mutation is too sever to match anything they found. No police, no trial, you're free and with a long time with no updates the case has been deemed cold. You're in the clear.”

“I'm alive?”

“The one and only Living Vampire.”

Michael rolled his eyes as he wiped them, “Thank you Tony.”

“Don't thank me yet kid, we're just getting started. I need to get you into schooling asap, or at least verify you can pass a GED otherwise I've failed as a- p-p-p”

“Parent?”

Tony visibly looked like the word would make him ill and Michael couldn't stop laughing, “Okay, testing starts, off you go, Jarvis will get some lower grade trial tests to check your status. Hey, maybe we can get you enrolled.”

“Tony, the sun.”

“Technicalities, I'm working on it. What are you still doing here? Off you pop.”

Michael beamed, blinking when text appeared in front of him, “Oh Parker wants to know if you'd be willing to have a sleepover. His aunt worries.”

He snorted and turned back to shrug, “I don't know, you're the-” “Don't say it!” was sprawled in front of him so close he had to take a step back. “Well, you are.”

“Jarvis that word is banned from this building, do you hear me?! Banned!”

Michael was smiling, “I'd love to, if you think it's safe.”

“Eh, I hooked the kid up with blackout curtains, you'll be alright, be back before the week is over.”

“Wait the week? Not '10pm' or something like that?”

“10pm? What am I, a savage? The best parties don't even start before 1am, go on get out of here, shoo.”

“Thanks, dad.”

“Jarvis, that word is banned too!”

“I'll let mom know where I'm headed, so no chasing when you forget!”

“Jarvis all parental nicknames, add it to the list.”

Michael was giggling as he saw Jarvis keeping him informed of the 'bans' within the building, heading to let Bruce know where he was headed.

 


End file.
